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Tarifa utilizes new tactics for front-running G2 Mother Goose win

by Brian Bohl

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Tarifa served as the pacesetter and went stride-for-stride with the favored Gun Song in the stretch before holding on for a victory by a head in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose, a nine-furlong route for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox and jockey Flavien Prat employed a different strategy for Tarifa, who had sat off the early speed in each of her first eight starts, including a last-out 3 3/4-length third in the Grade 1 Cotillion in September at Parx Racing. There, she traveled off the pace in the event where re-opposing Gun Song was beaten a neck by divisional leader Thorpedo Anna.

This time, Prat sent his charge to the front as she led a compact five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.08 seconds, the half in 48.86 and three-quarters in 1:13.49 on the fast main track.

Gun Song, trained by Mark Hennig and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, was in a stalking second position in the early going and into the second turn. Once straightened for home, the front pair went eye-to-eye into the final sixteenth with Tarifa maintaining the slight edge along the inside with Gun Song unrelenting from her outside. Pretty Ana, who was squeezed at the start, put in a late bid from last, with the surge from the far outside making an exciting finish as Tarifa held her lead, completing the course in 1:50.78.

Dustin Dugas, assistant trainer to Cox, said that Tarifa also overcame a lost front right shoe in the resilient effort.

"Leaving the gate she took a little stutter step there and grabbed somebody's heel and pulled a shoe. It was a very game effort,” said Dugas. “A good head's up ride by Flavien - he said in the paddock if he could get to the lead and take it to her [Gun Song], he was going to. He did just that.”

Gun Song held off the oncoming Pretty Ana by a head for second, with Dorothy’s Dreams finishing fourth and Headline Numbers completing the order of finish. Call Another Play, Life Talk and Just Music scratched.

Prat said the Bernardini dark bay had enough early speed to counter the troubled beginning.

“I wanted to try to change things around and get her into the race. She jumped very well, and I don't know, I think I clipped somebody's heel on the outside so I lost a bit of momentum. She was still fast enough to make the lead,” said Prat. “After that, I thought she was traveling well. Top of the lane, it looked like I'm beaten, and she showed some good fight.”

Tarifa registered her third graded stakes win this year following scores at Fair Grounds Race Course in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in February and the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March ahead of a distant off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

Following a post-Oaks respite, Tarifa returned to action in August with a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park prior to the Cotillion.

"Flavien said after the race that she's a different filly now and more handy. The team down in Kentucky were saying the same thing that she's a handy little filly,” said Dugas. “She's been here only a handful of days and we've seen that as well."

Off at 2-1, Tarifa returned $6.10 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $801,925 through a 9-5-1-1 record.

Gun Song, the winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in May at Pimlico Race Course and the Cathryn Sophia in August at Parx, added another runner-up finish to an impressive ledger that also includes a second-place effort in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in July.

Velazquez said Gun Song was second-best behind a tough foe.

"I had them, then the last 70 yards, I didn't have them. I was very confident. He [Prat] was riding that horse, riding that horse, so I thought, 'I think I've got them. Let me make sure I wait to let her out a little bit.' Then when I got after her, she gave me a good bid, and that was it," said Velazquez. "That is exactly what she likes, the outside stalking position. So everything was good, other than winning."

Dylan Davis, aboard the four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown-trained Pretty Ana, said the half-sister to Hall of Famer Gun Runner showed some serious late foot after spotting the field many lengths.

"I was hoping to break a little better than that, but she broke poorly and clipped the three a little bit there and found herself last 10 lengths. She didn't like the kickback so much, so we had to go outside, and she really came with a big run,” said Davis. “It was tough to gauge - I thought I might have got up, but she ended up finishing third. What a game race she ran. Tough beat."

Live racing resumes Sunday with a total of 93 New York-breds entered for a special 10-race card at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet to celebrate the best of New York for the annual Empire Showcase Day, featuring eight stakes races worth a combined $1.6 million, topped by the $250,000 Empire Classic and $250,000 Empire Distaff. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.