Gulfstream: Cookie Dough Confirmed for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

By David Joseph —-

Cookie Dough; Leslie Martin Photo
Cookie Dough Confirmed for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL– FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes star Cookie Dough is being pointed toward a start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov. 2, trainer Stanley Gold confirmed Friday.

“She’s doing great. She’ll breeze again next week. We’ll leave on the 26th, and off we go,” said Gold, whose multiple stakes-winning trainee returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab last Saturday with a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.65, the third fastest of 31 recorded at the distance.

Cookie Dough is coming off back-to-back wins in the Florida Sire Stakes series, having captured the $200,000 Susan’s Girl by 6 ½ lengths at seven furlongs before successfully negotiating two turns while winning the $400,000 My Dear Girl by 7 ½ lengths at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think we haven’t seen the best of this filly yet. Hopefully, we’ll see it on the 2nd of November,” Gold said.

In the My Dear Girl, Cookie Dough was forced to race extremely wide around the first turn after breaking from the No. 12 post position and was slow to settle into stride along the backstretch under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez. Arindel’s homebred daughter of Brethren advanced along the backstretch before making a sweeping move to the lead on the far turn. She drew away through the stretch to win comfortably.

“She could have had a better trip, but she didn’t. She overcame it. She didn’t get hit with the stick. She was under a hand ride. There was plenty of gas in the tank and she came back good,” Gold said. “I was pleased, and, as I said, I don’t think we’ve seen her best race yet.”

Gold has fared well with two previous Juvenile Fillies starters. He saddled Awesome Feather for a victory in 2010 following a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes series. Last year, Arindel’s Blonde Bomber finished third behind Caledonia Road.

The $150,000 Tempted (G3) at Aqueduct Nov. 2 had been under consideration, before it was decided Cookie Dough had earned the opportunity to run in the Juvenile Fillies.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.