Stars Return in Mother Goose and Hollywood Gold Cup

Mother Goose Preview

We’ve waited eight weeks…and now the wait is over!  Untapable is set to return to the races this Saturday at Belmont in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes.  Her challengers will be drawn later today, but it shouldn’t matter much.  She is so far ahead of the competition it’s not even funny.  Also, she proved in the Kentucky Oaks that post position doesn’t matter as she drew the far outside post and still crushed the competition.  By the time Saturday is over we might be talking more about what could be next for this great filly, more so than how many lengths she wins by.  Remember…Rachel Alexandra won the Mother Goose and then went on to dominate and win the Haskell Stakes.  Could Untapable follow that same path?  How aggressive will her connections be?  The first step towards a huge summer and answering those questions start this Saturday!

Hollywood Gold Cup Preview

While Untapable looks to be a complete slam dunk, Game On Dude could be as well in the Hollywood Gold Cup.  His challengers could prove to be a bit tougher to handle, but most of this bunch he’s been able to destroy in the past.  It’s been a wild ride for the “The Dude” this year.  He’s made three starts so far, and after the first one the horse racing world all but announced that he was finished.  It was a fifth place non-effort in the San Antonio that had everyone worried.  However, he returned in his next start to defeat Will Take Charge and Mucho Macho Man in the Santa Anita Handicap next time out, giving him what was perhaps the biggest win of his career.  Since then he’s made one other start which was in the Charles Town Classic.  He finished second there, but the race was oddly ran and he looked as though he hated the track so it’s almost one you draw a line through.  He has been working out great in the mornings and should be ready to win his third straight Hollywood Gold Cup.

Unlike the Mother Goose, Game On Dude’s competition does deserve a mention.  The ever infamous Clubhouse Ride is back once again to take a shot at the Dude.  He looks to be in decent form as he won the California Stakes last time out against a field that was fairly strong.  Can he finally be Game On Dude?  No probably not!  Another horse to keep in mind is Fury Kapcori.  He was second to Clubhouse Ride in the before mentioned California Stakes, but before that race he was looking pretty special.  He is kind of the up and coming horse to this group of older males in California, which was definitely in need of some fresh faces.  His best effort could put some pressure on Game On Dude up front.