A small but talented field of seven 2-year-old fillies will race 1 1/16 miles over the Churchill Downs dirt in Saturday’s $400,000 Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes, an important stop on the 2024-25 road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Did you know each of the last three Kentucky Oaks winners started in the Golden Rod the previous year? That’s right, Secret Oath, Pretty Mischievous, and Thorpedo Anna finished fifth, third, and second in the Golden Rod the last three years before returning to Churchill Downs months later to win the Kentucky Oaks. Will we see the 2025 Kentucky Oaks winner compete in this year’s Golden Rod? There’s a good chance, because the caliber of competition is strong.

Arguably the most exciting Golden Rod entrant is #3 Good Cheer, an undefeated Godolphin homebred conditioned by two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Brad Cox. Good Cheer hasn’t been challenged in three starts and looks like a serious graded stakes star in the making.

Good Cheer opened her career out of the spotlight at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Favored to win a one-mile maiden special weight race, Good Cheer rated off the early pace before taking over to win by 8 1/4 lengths. Next up was a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Churchill Downs. Again, Good Cheer started as the favorite and again, she obliterated her rivals, rallying from last place in a five-horse field to win by 17 lengths. This runaway victory warranted a start in Churchill’s 1 1/16-mile Rags to Riches Stakes on the road to the Kentucky Oaks. In customary fashion, Good Cheer settled off the early pace before swooping past rivals to win by 4 3/4 lengths.

If you’re a fan of Brisnet Speed ratings, it’s worth noting Good Cheer’s last two victories have yielded ratings of 93 and 92, the two highest numbers in the Golden Rod field. Any way you slice it, this undefeated filly is the fastest of the Golden Rod entrants and the runner to beat under hot jockey Luis Saez. According to Brisnet statistics, Saez has won at a lofty 41% rate teaming up with Cox over the last two months.

Good Cheer (Coady Media)

Horseplayers planning to bet the Golden Rod can feel confident playing Good Cheer on top of their tickets. To boost the prospective payoffs, we recommend pursuing exotic wagers like the exacta (select the top two finishers in order) and the trifecta (select the top three finishers in order).

Two fillies appear to have strong chances at finishing second or third in the Golden Rod. They are #1 Eclatant and #4 Quietside.

Quietside already has experience against top-tier competition. The daughter of Malibu Moon won her debut in a maiden special weight race sprinting six furlongs at Saratoga. She then finished second in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes racing seven furlongs. In the Spinaway, Quietside was beaten only 1 1/4 lengths by Immersive, who seems certain to be voted champion 2-year-old filly of 2024 after following up her Spinaway success with wins in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes and the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Quietside got a rematch with Immersive in the Alcibiades, but didn’t fare as well over the 1 1/16-mile distance, finishing third by 3 1/4 lengths. Dropping in class for the Golden Rod should help Quietside’s chances on Saturday, but it’s possible she’s better at sprint distances shorter than 1 1/16 miles.

In contrast, Eclatant has yet to run farther than six furlongs, but her pedigree by Into Mischief out of a mare by Scat Daddy suggests 1 1/16 miles won’t be an issue. Trained by Brad Cox, Eclatant debuted on June 21 at Churchill Downs, winning a maiden special weight race by 1 3/4 lengths over future Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes winner La Cara. She subsequently spent some time on the sidelines but returned on Oct. 4 at Keeneland to win a $100,000 allowance optional claiming race by 1 1/4 lengths, earning a 90 Brisnet Speed rating. There’s a strong possibility Eclatant will improve in her second start off the layoff. She looks like the main threat to her stablemate Good Cheer, so we’ll favor her for second place over Quietside.

Depending on how much money you wish to spend betting the Golden Rod, here are two wagering strategies to consider:

Wagering Strategy on a $10 Budget

$10 exacta: 3 with 1

What to say at the betting window: Churchill Downs, 9th race, $10 exacta 3 with 1

 Wagering Strategy on a $30 Budget

 $20 exacta: 3 with 1

 What to say at the betting window: Churchill Downs, 9th race, $20 exacta 3 with 1

 $10 trifecta: 3 with 1 with 4

  What to say at the betting window: Churchill Downs, 9th race, $10 trifecta 3 with 1 with 4

  Good luck and enjoy the race!