Goldikova Preview: Raymundos Secret Goes for Third Straight

ARCADIA, CA – Sierra Racing and Sterling Stables’ Raymundos Secret goes for her third straight score in Sunday’s $200,000 Goldikova Stakes (G2), the headlining event on the final day of the Santa Anita Park fall meet.

The Goldikova is a two-turn turf mile restricted to fillies and mares ages 3 and up. This year’s edition is the ninth event on an 11-race card and has a local post time of 4:30 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Goldikova:

1. Hang a Star 15/1 – She picked a salty spot to make her turf debut for trainer Ian Kruljac, who’s 1 for his last 9 when his runners make such surface changes. She was well-beaten in her 2 dirt route attempts, but she picks up Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza for the first time and recently fired a 5-furlong bullet best-of-46 work in :59 flat here on October 16.

2. Maxim Rate 8/5 – The Simon Callaghan trainee has blossomed as a 4-year-old, posting a pair of wins (including in the CTT and TOC Stakes) and a pair of runner-up efforts (including the Rodeo Drive Stakes [G1] last time out) in her 4 starts. Though she’s cutting back from her last 2 tries, she has a 6-3-1-0 record in turf miles and is undefeated with Umberto Rispoli aboard.

3. Raymundos Secret 9/5 – Speaking of horses who’ve blossomed at age 4, this filly is undefeated in 2020 after necking out a pair of scores at Del Mar over the summer, including the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2) last time out. Still, she’s no horse-for-course; her career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure came when beating optional claimers over this course and distance last October.

4. Atomic Blonde 8/1 – Trainer Jorge Abreu ships her west for this event after she failed to hit the board in a pair of turf mile events at Saratoga and Belmont Park, including the Noble Damsel Stakes (G3) last time out. She won 3 of her first 5 career starts, including January’s South Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and picks up Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

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5. Zee Drop 12/1 – After faltering in her 2020 debut against optional claimers over this course and distance, she posted back-to-back fourth-place finishes at Del Mar, including in the Mabee last time out. She must find a way to reverse her fortunes against a tougher group here. Note that she’s cross-entered in Saturday’s 5 1/2-furlong Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3), which would be the shortest distance that she’s ever attempted to run.

6. Silberpfeil 8/1 – This Irish-bred gray/roan-colored filly, whose name translates from German as “Silver Arrow,” will try to fly straight and true as she makes her North American racing debut in this spot. She did her best running overseas in turf miles (9-3-4-1 record), finished second in a Group 3 in Italy last month, and picks up strong local jockey Juan Hernandez.

7. Tonahutu 4/1 – Trainer Doug O’Neill’s savvy $32k claim that he made on May 31 has paid off handsomely; she finished second by a 1/2-length and a nose in her first 2 starts for the barn before beating optional claimers in a Del Mar turf mile. She cuts back after fading in the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive, and that recent nose defeat came in the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2).

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