By Bill Heller
Chester and Mary Broman’s home-bred, four-year-old filly Bar of Gold, the 4-5 favorite in the field of six contesting the third running of the mile-and-a-sixteenth $250,000 Empire Distaff, upped her wet track record to five-for-five, exploding between horses at the top of the stretch under Joel Rosario to win by an astounding 18 lengths in-hand in 1:43.10 on the sloppy track at Belmont Park Saturday, the “Wow!!!” race on New York-bred Showcase Day. “She’s very happy in the mud,” Rosario said. “She loves it.”
Mecke’s Madalyn, who was 27-1 under Jose Lezcano, finished second, 5 ½ lengths clear of 2-1 Jules N Rome and Javier Castellano. Literate, who went off at 7-1 with Luis Saez aboard, was another head back in fourth.
Bar of Gold, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of Khancord Kid by Lemon Drop Kid, was making her 14th dirt start for trainer John Kimmel. On dry tracks, she was zero-for-nine with three seconds and two thirds. But she was taking on top competition. Nine of her previous 10 starts came in open graded stakes. The other was in a New York-bred stakes, when she won the $200,000 Critical Eye May 30th by a length and a half on a muddy track under Junior Alvarado as the 3-2 favorite.
In her prior start to the Empire Distaff, Bar of Gold finished third by a half-length under Rosario in a Grade 2 stakes on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs.
When Wonder Gal, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, scratched early Saturday, the Empire Distaff figured to go through Bar of Gold.
Kimmel had some advice for Rosario before the race: “I just said to Joel, `With the way we’ve been working her, be patient.’ Some of the other riders had been letting her run a bit too quick early.”
Rosario complied, and Bar of Gold got away fifth on the rail. Isabelle, who was 6-1 under Junior Alvarado, took a narrow lead as Jules N Rome set up in second on her flank. Isabelle led Jules N Rome by a head after a :23.70 first quarter-mile and by a half-length in a :47.67 half-mile. Jules N Rome pulled with a head of Isabelle as 20-1 Jc’s Shooting Star and Manny Franco and 7-1 Literata and Luis Saez rallied strongly on the far outside around the far turn.
Then Rosario, who had kept Bar of Gold on the rail, shot her through a narrow opening between Isabelle and Jules N Rome at the top of the stretch.
Bar of Gold opened five lengths on the field in a matter of seconds, an explosive burst of power. She kept increasing her lead with every stride, prompting announcer Larry Collmus horses to call, “Look at her!”
Despite being in-hand the final eighth of a mile, Bar of Gold kept expanding her lead to a winning margin seldom seen in any races, let alone a $250,000 stakes. She was simply unbelievable.
Bar of Gold is now five-for-14 on dirt with three seconds and two thirds. She has one third in one try over synthetic and has compiled more than $710,000 in earnings.
