Roanan Goddess, a 3-year-old daughter of Leofric bred by Chad Carter, wins her third stakes of 2024 in Saturday’s Safely Kept at Laurel Park. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Mens Grille Racing’s Roanan Goddess returned from a short freshening and collected her third stakes victory – all in 2024 – in Saturday’s $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park.

J. G. Torrealba rode the 3-year-old daughter of Leofric to a three-quarter-length win over Discreet Ops and five others in the 7-furlong Safely Kept. The 5-1 fifth choice, Roanan Goddess added the Safely Kept to her victory in the Xtra Heat Stakes in late January and the off-the-turf Searching Stakes in early August, both at Laurel for trainer Hamilton Smith.

Roanan Goddess came into the Safely Kept off more than two months on the shelf, after finishing a close third in the 6-furlong Weather Vane Stakes September 22 at Laurel. She finished well back in the $150,000 Camptown for Virginia-restricted runners August 31 at Colonial Downs prior to the Weather Vane.

“It was the last 3-year-old filly stake of the year, and we just waited for this,” Smith said. “She needed a little time between races and it worked out great. She ran well,” Smith said. “Beyond 7 furlongs might be a problem, but she’s a middle-distance horse. She’s doing awfully good.”

Dazzling Move, the 8-5 favorite for trainer Mike Trombetta, took the early initiative in the Safely Kept and opened up a 3 1/2-length advantage through the opening quarter-mile in :22.55. Dazzling Move still led by 2 lengths over Discreet Ops around the far turn and to the half in :45.32, with Kissedbyanangel, Sheilahs Warcloud and Roanan Goddess giving chase.

Discreet Ops shrugged off the favored pacesetter turning for home, while Roanan Goddess continued her run while wide into and through the upper stretch. Roanan Goddess snatched the lead inside the sixteenth pole and pulled away late over a stubborn Discreet Ops. Sheilahs Warcloud finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in third with Goodnightngodbless fourth and Dazzling Move fifth. Roanan Goddess won in 1:23.63 over the fast track.

“I told (Torrealba) … just get her out of there good and see where you are and ride your race. He did just that,” Smith said. “I thought she was little further back than I expected her to be but she came a running.”

Bred by Chad Carter, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and out of the winning Midnight Lute mare Night Madam, Roanan Goddess improved to 3-for-8 with three thirds this season. She also picked up $60,000 for winning the Safely Kept to pad her career bankroll to $289,240.

Roanan Goddess is the second foal out of Night Madam, who is also the dam of the eight-time winning New York-bred Alpha mare Madam Alpha. Night Madam is also the dam of an unraced West Virginia-bred 2-year-old full brother to Roanan Goddess named Snowy Night and a weanling Virginia-bred weanling colt by Capo Bastone named Night Call.

Roanan Goddess originally sold for $30,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. Mens Grille Racing purchased the filly for $60,000 about eight months later at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. She’s won five of 14 starts overall.

Mi Bago collects second stakes win in last three starts in Friday’s Pulpit at Gulfstream. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Gary Barber’s Mi Bago bounced back from a troubled and better-than-appeared run over Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar with a victory in Friday’s $100,000 Pulpit Stakes on the second day of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet in South Florida.

Fifth and beaten only 2 lengths at 45-1 last time out in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, Mi Bago took control of the Pulpit from the start and held off all his rivals to win as the 9-5 favorite. Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, the 2-year-old son of Vekoma won by 5 lengths over 7-2 second choice Hit That Review and 6-1 Bucaro in third. Mi Bago won in 1:27.06 for the 7 1/2 furlongs on firm turf.

Mi Bago led from the break and into the first turn, opening up 1 1/2 lengths over Enterdadragon through the opening quarter-mile in :23.50. Mi Bago widened that advantage to 3 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.24 with Hit That Review, Discreet Dancer and Como among the closest pursuers behind Enterdadragon.

Past 6 furlongs in 1:09.61, Gonzalez gave a look over his shoulder turning for home as Mi Bago maintained his 3-length advantage over Bucaro in midstretch. They widened again from there and finished well clear. Hit That Review edged Bucaro by a neck for second, with Discreet Dancer fourth.

“Honestly, I kind of left it up to Edwin. He said he was going to break and try and get himself into a good position,” Casse’s assistant Nick Tomlinson said. “He broke running, and I was a little worried about how fast they were going. But he really quickened impressively. He ran really well today. It was a great race.”

Mi Bago improved to 3-for-5 with the victory and picked up $58,900 to boost his earnings to $178,910.

Bred by Highclere Inc. and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Mi Bago is the fifth winner produced by the unraced New York-bred Indian Charlie mare Wabanaki. She’s the dam of seven-time winner and $227,242-earner Lady Macho (by Mucho Macho Man) and winners What Mightavebeen (Freud), Dawnland (Jimmy Creed) and Weyron (Goldencents).

A $62,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale in 2023, Mi Bago was a $90,000 RNA later in the year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Mi Bago won his debut in a 5-furlong dirt maiden at Colonial Downs August 1 for owner CM Thoroughbreds and trainer Carlos Munoz.

Barber purchased Mi Bago privately after that effort and moved him to his primary trainer Casse. Mi Bago finished a non-threatening sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course August 25 before moving to the grass to win the October 5 bet365 Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine.

“He’s got the talent. Especially for a 2-year-old to go three-quarters in 1:09, that’s a lot to ask of them,” Tomlinson said. “The performance today was extremely impressive. We’ll definitely keep him on the grass. There’s a lot of good 3-year-old stakes coming up. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out and go from there.”

Cast a Coin (inside) fends off Notfanutin to win Monday’s Tin Cup Chalice Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Gold Bear Farm’s Cast a Coin improved from his only other try in stakes company and added another stakes winner to his sire’s resume with a victory in Monday’s $45,000 Tin Cup Chalice at Finger Lakes.

The 2-year-old Central Banker gelding rated off the pace, tipped off the rail and outfinished his foes between horses late to win the 6-furlong stakes by a neck over Notfanutin. Steven Fret rode Cast a Coin for trainer Jacqueline Falk.

Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC and Spruce Lane Farm, Cast a Coin sold for $27,000 at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale after originally bringing $15,000 as a weanling at the 2023 OBC winter mixed sale.

Cast a Coin, fifth in his other stakes try in the Aspirant Stakes over a sloppy track September 23 at Finger Lakes, became the latest stakes winner for Central Banker in the Tin Cup Chalice. Central Banker, a 14-year-old son of Speightstown, stands for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs. He started the day ranked second on the New York general sire list – which he’s topped the last three seasons – and less than $40,000 behind the leader Bucchero, who stood the 2024 season at McMahon before heading to stand at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater for 2025.

Coming off a 4-length tally in a 5 ½-furlong open-company maiden last time out on October 16 at Finger Lakes, Cast a Coin went to post for the Tin Cup Chalice as the 5-2 second choice behind Blamicker.

No Factor, the lone filly in the field of seven, took the early initiative up the backstretch and zipped through the opening quarter-mile in :22.68 ahead of the tracking Blamicker and Cast a Coin. Blamicker and jockey Andre Worrie made the first run at the leader around the far turn and took command approaching the half-mile split in :46.37.

Fret kept Cast a Coin inside until the field turned for home, then tipped out a few paths off the rail while Notfanutin made a move to his outside and Mr. Sugar Daddy made up ground to the inside. Cast a Coin hung tough in deep stretch and edged Notfanutin at the finish in 1:12.97 over the fast track. Mr. Sugar Daddy finished three-quarters of a length back in third with Blamicker, No Factor, Sobieski and One Morerep completing the field.

Cast a Coin picked up $27,000 for the win to boost his earnings to $55,717 from a record of 2-1-0 in four starts.

Cast a Coin is the fifth foal out of the Into Mischief mare Light the Dynamite, a homebred for Chester and Mary Broman picked up by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent for $10,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Light the Dynamite is the dam of three winners – six-time winner and $133,250-earner Summer Sangria, Iron Horizon and Boom Boom Thunder, a 3-year-old full brother to Cast a Coin. She’s also the dam of Cast a Coin’s New York-bred yearling full sister Hawkeyejet and his Iowa-bred weanling full sister Gun Champion born April 15.