Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

ARCADIA, Calif., — The boys tried to put Goldikova in a box, and the filly showed them that it’s not nice to treat a lady that way when she stormed through a small opening at the eighth pole to win the Mile over the turf course on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The 3-year-old filly was facing 10 males and also was the youngest in the field. But give this girl credit, two of her losses (where she ran second) this year were to the great Zarkava, winner of the Arc at Longchamps at the beginning of October. Her other loss also was a second, where she was interfered with by the eventual winner, but the order of finish was not changed.

Saturday’s win never was in doubt once she broke free because her turn of foot is devastating. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Kip Deville broke free about the same time as Goldikova, but he was no match for the Irish filly who easily ran away from him to win by a length and a quarter. Whatsthescript was third and Precious Kitten was fourth.

Thorn Song, as expected, went to the lead out of the gate and had company from Daytona and Goldikova, but she already was trapped on the rail, but saving ground. The positions did not change until the field came off the second and that is when Goldikova was caught behind a wall of horses and could not get to the outside. When the seam opened, she was gone under a brilliant ride by French jockey Olivier Peslier.

Peslier knew what he had under him. “After a nice trip, just before the last corner, I was waiting for a chance, when that hole opened she jumped up and just kept going. She’s very good. I’ve won a lot of big races with her.”

Freddie Head, the trainer who knows what he’s talking when winning a Breeders’ Cup race, was pleased with her performance. “She’s a wonderful filly. She’s in the same class as Miesque (who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and 1988 with Head aboard). She was a little backward before, but now she’s in the same league as Miesque.”

Cornelio Velasquez, on Kip Deville, had nothing but praised for the defending champion. “He ran his race the best he could.  We were in good position, running very strong coming down the stretch, but that filly was just better than us today.  He ran all he could.”

Robby Albarado, who took Thorn Song to the lead, thought he was in control. “I had everything my way.  Alex (jockey Solis aboard Daytona) did a good job of staying on me, but we had every opportunity to go on. The pace was moderate enough.”