Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Manama Gold’s crooked path has led to Jersey Girl Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The well-traveled Manama Gold was bred in Louisiana, has raced exclusively in Dubai, was shipped to Kentucky for a possible start in the Oaks, and currently finds herself in New York, where she is set to make her much anticipated U.S. debut Thursday at Saratoga in the $200,000 Jersey Girl Stakes.
Although ungraded, the sixfurlong Jersey Girl for 3-yearold fillies lured an outstanding field that along with Group 3 winner Manama Gold includes the vastly improved Gray Lightning, a sensational winner of her only two starts this season by a combined 26 3/4 lengths, plus the undefeated and as yet unchallenged Almostgone Rocket from the powerhouse barn of trainer Brad Cox.
The field also features the return of 2023 Schuylerville winner Becky’s Joker; multiple stakes winner Carmelina; Manama Gold’s uncoupled stablemate Roman Grace; the once-beaten Moonlit Lady; and Dorothy’s Dreams.
Manama Gold will enter the Jersey Girl undefeated in three starts, each of her wins coming at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The most important of those victories came by 1 1/4 lengths going 1 3/16 miles in the Group 3 U.A.E. Oaks on Feb. 23.
Manama Gold joined trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn during the spring with the goal of possibly making a start in the Kentucky Oaks. But travel issues ultimately forced her connections to adjust her itinerary a couple of times along the way.
“The original idea was for her to come in to take a look at the Oaks,” Pletcher explained. “I’m not quite sure exactly what happened with her travel plans, but for some reason there were complications with the quarantine schedule in England,
I believe, so she got there [Churchill Downs] too late for that. Then we started thinking perhaps we could get her ready for the Acorn, but I just felt a mile and one-eighth, with that much time in between races, was asking too much.”
Pletcher ultimately settled on the Jersey Girl for Manama Gold’s U.S. bow. She’s registered three works over the Oklahoma training track since shipping in from Churchill, including five furlongs in a near-bullet 1:01.20 last Friday.
“I feel like each work has been better than the previous one and that the last time she galloped out best of all,” Pletcher said. “This race actually might be too short for her. I’d prefer if it were seveneighths, but after looking at all our options, it seemed like it might be a good launching spot to get her going again.”
Gray Lightning registered a modestly graded maiden win when debuting under a $40,000 claiming tag last fall at Parx Racing before coming out second best in her juvenile finale. But she has certainly flourished upon turning 3, winning an open allowance race by 14 1/2 lengths on March 16 and a first-level allowance, restricted to Pennsylvaniabreds, five weeks later while pairing up 94 Beyer Speed Figures.
The Jersey Girl will be Gray Lightning’s first start outside her home base of Parx.
“We gave her some time over the winter because she got a little sick on us and she’s really blossomed since then,” trainer Tyler Servis said. “Her two big races came on Lasix, although I don’t think that’s really the reason for her recent improvement as some may think looking at her past performances, because she’s never really had a bleeding issue at any point.”
None of the eight starters in the Jersey Girl will be permitted to race on Lasix.
Servis also said there is really no secret to his strategy for the speedy Gray Lightning, who drew the extreme outside, post 8.
“There’s not much to hide, her speed is her asset. We’re definitely going to have her leave there, hopefully cross over, get clear if she can, and take the shortest path home from there,” Servis said.
Almostgone Rocket has broken alertly and shown speed of her own in her only two starts. She proved a very popular 11 3/4-length debut winner at Oaklawn Park before returning with arguably an even better effort when registering a 4 1/4-length allowance win at Churchill for which she received a 93 Beyer Figure on May 3.
“She’s cut out to be a good horse,” Cox said. “We had her ready to run last year, but she suffered a minor setback and the owners let me give her all the time she needed.
“I think she fits nicely with this group, she’s been working very well, she’s capable of sitting off all the speed if need be, and it looks to me like she’s set up for another big effort.”
Almostgone Rocket’s most recent victory came over a sloppy track, an experience that could serve her well considering a weather forecast that has been calling for better than a 60 percent chance of rain on Thursday.