Fabulous filly Goldikova on course for Santa Anita
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from the Racing Post:
France: All roads lead to California for Goldikova as the superstar filly's connections focus their attention on completing back-to-back victories in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on November 8.
The four-year-old's connections have also refused to rule out the possibility that she could stay in training as a five-year-old in 2010.
Trainer Freddie Head landed a rare Breeders' Cup double on the great Miesque in 1987 and '88.
After Goldikova's demolition of her rivals to record her sixth Group or Grade 1 success in Sunday's Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, Head suggested the formidable daughter of Anabaa was "superior to Miesque".
Racing Post international handicapper Sam Walker has added weight to that view when he awarded Goldikova a mark of 130 for her six-length romp.
This represents the highest Racing Post Rating achieved by a filly for a decade, and 3lb more than America's Sweetheart Rachel Alexandra achieved whern trouncing the colts on the dirt in the recent Haskell Invitational.
Miesque set a track record in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park and then returned the following year to win at Churchill Downs.
Goldikova will have the added advantage of already being a course-and-distance winner at Santa Anita, the first venue to host successive Breeders' Cups.
However, it is to be hoped the US stalls handlers show as much patience as they did at Deauville on Sunday, where Goldikova played up. "She can be a little naughty at the start," admitted Head - and she took a good five minutes to load.
Head reported: "Goldikova is very well after her race and she will be staying down at Deauville for a few days before returning to Chantilly.
"The ultimate target is the Breeders' Cup Mile and for the moment the plan is to run in the Prix de la Foret (October 3)."
Another tilt at the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is not totally ruled out, butif she does go for the Foret, the 7f distance will be the shortest the filly has ever run over.
Last year, Goldikova lived in the shadow of Zarkava until their paths separated after the Prix de Diane.
The Wertheimer Brothers' racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau did not rule out the possibility of Goldikova's staying in training next year as a five-year-old.
"We are taking it step by step and see what happens in the Breeders' Cup," he said. "All options are being kept open."
Goldikova broke the race record for the Jacques Le Marois and she covered the final furlong in 11.3secs, the fastest of the day despite not being anything like flat out. "She is like a Formula 1 car," enthused her rider Olivier Peslier.
France: All roads lead to California for Goldikova as the superstar filly's connections focus their attention on completing back-to-back victories in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on November 8.
The four-year-old's connections have also refused to rule out the possibility that she could stay in training as a five-year-old in 2010.
Trainer Freddie Head landed a rare Breeders' Cup double on the great Miesque in 1987 and '88.
After Goldikova's demolition of her rivals to record her sixth Group or Grade 1 success in Sunday's Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, Head suggested the formidable daughter of Anabaa was "superior to Miesque".
Racing Post international handicapper Sam Walker has added weight to that view when he awarded Goldikova a mark of 130 for her six-length romp.
This represents the highest Racing Post Rating achieved by a filly for a decade, and 3lb more than America's Sweetheart Rachel Alexandra achieved whern trouncing the colts on the dirt in the recent Haskell Invitational.
Miesque set a track record in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park and then returned the following year to win at Churchill Downs.
Goldikova will have the added advantage of already being a course-and-distance winner at Santa Anita, the first venue to host successive Breeders' Cups.
However, it is to be hoped the US stalls handlers show as much patience as they did at Deauville on Sunday, where Goldikova played up. "She can be a little naughty at the start," admitted Head - and she took a good five minutes to load.
Head reported: "Goldikova is very well after her race and she will be staying down at Deauville for a few days before returning to Chantilly.
"The ultimate target is the Breeders' Cup Mile and for the moment the plan is to run in the Prix de la Foret (October 3)."
Another tilt at the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is not totally ruled out, butif she does go for the Foret, the 7f distance will be the shortest the filly has ever run over.
Last year, Goldikova lived in the shadow of Zarkava until their paths separated after the Prix de Diane.
The Wertheimer Brothers' racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau did not rule out the possibility of Goldikova's staying in training next year as a five-year-old.
"We are taking it step by step and see what happens in the Breeders' Cup," he said. "All options are being kept open."
Goldikova broke the race record for the Jacques Le Marois and she covered the final furlong in 11.3secs, the fastest of the day despite not being anything like flat out. "She is like a Formula 1 car," enthused her rider Olivier Peslier.