Sacred Goddess ready for $150K Joseph A. Gimma

Icon Racing Stable, Team Penney Racing and Peter Dorsman Racing’s Sacred Goddess seeks her first stakes score in Friday’s $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A. 

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, Sacred Goddess enters from a 4th-of-5 finish in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Bolton Landing versus open company on August 17 at Saratoga Race Course. The Kantharos bay was last early and made a mild rally to finish 3 1/4 lengths back of the victorious Snow Face Princess, who exited to run a one-length second in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable on September 7 at Kentucky Downs. 

Sacred Goddess graduated sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in her July 17 debut versus fellow state-breds at the Spa. She traveled four lengths back in fourth position early and launched a successful wide bid to defeat next-out winner and returning rival Trading Trouble by a neck. 

The Joseph A. Gimma was previously contested at seven furlongs on the main track.

“The Gimma getting switched to the turf is probably good for us,” Englehart said. “I think Sacred Goddess is going to be more of a turf horse overall. She is getting back against state-breds, still versus a couple of horses who will be pretty salty, but she should be ready.” 

Sacred Goddess [post 9, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] earned a career and field-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the Bolton Landing, improving from a 68 on debut. 

“More than anything, she has developed physically,” said Englehart. “After we bought her as a 2-year-old, I kind of thought she lost a little bit of muscle when she came and started training at Saratoga. She seems like she’s gotten it back now, which hopefully is a sign of good things to come.” 

Sacred Goddess completed her preparations with a half-mile breeze in 50.02 seconds in company with dual stakes-winning 4-year-old filly Tricky Temper on September 12 over Saratoga's Oklahoma dirt training track.

“She had her last workout [Friday] with Tricky Temper, who is a pretty good test for her in the morning,” Englehart said. “Everything went well. Hopefully, we will be all set for the Gimma.” 

Bred by Trail Creek Stables, Sacred Goddess, out of the Quality Road mare That’s My Cue, was a $200,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase for Team Penney and former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth’s Icon Racing. 

William “Buck” Butler’s New York homebred Trading Trouble [post 3, Ruben Silvera] enters on short rest from an uninvolved seventh in the aforementioned Untapable at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Mike Maker, the Honest Mischief bay was second on debut to Sacred Goddess ahead of a two-length graduation versus fellow state-breds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on August 9 at the Spa. 

The maiden win earned a career-best 70 Beyer, and the connections warrant consideration as Maker is the reigning New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ [NYTB] Trainer of the Year and Butler is the NYTB Breeder of the Year. Trading Trouble is out of the winning Exchange Rate mare Tradeable, a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Sanctuary City. 

Arindel’s New York homebred Nacho Problem [post 2, Frankie Dettori] returns to the course and distance she graduated over third-out in June from a pair of tries in open company stakes. Trained by Amelia Green, the Waiting chestnut rallied up the rail for a three-length third to the victorious Gerrards Cross in the five-furlong Colleen on July 27 at Monmouth Park. 

Nacho Problem exited for an off-the-board finish in the 6 1/2-furlong Listed Catch A Glimpse last out on August 16 at Woodbine Racetrack, where she was bumped at the start and came up empty.

Nacho Problem graduated versus restricted company over course and distance on June 29 when setting the pace and holding off the Green-trained Devilish Grin by three-quarter-lengths, who landed third in the Listed P. G. Johnson presented by Snap-On at Saratoga. Nacho Problem’s first two starts were on dirt, including a third in her May debut here. 

Repole Stable’s Grazie [post 8, Eric Cancel] was second early in the six-furlong state-bred Seeking the Ante on August 22 over the Saratoga main track, but weakened to a 9 1/2-length third to the well-regarded winner Iron Orchard. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Modernist dark bay previously graduated over that same course and distance when wiring a state-bred maiden by 4 1/2 lengths over muddy and sealed footing on July 31. 

Bred by Michael Slezak and Kaylee M. Platt, Grazie, a $310,000 purchase at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training sale, is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Drexel Hill out of the winning Daaher mare Ascot Walk. 

Rounding out the field is a pair for Hall of Famer Mark Casse in stakes-placed Vernon Valley [post 7, John Velazquez, blinkers OFF] and the maiden Charlottesuniverse [post 4, Dylan Davis]; debut-winner Arinata [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Linda Rice; as well as the James Ryerson-trained pair of debut-winner Sweet Montreal [post 5, Chris Elliott] and the maiden Saint Margaret [post 6, Javier Castellano].

The Gimma is slated as Race 6 on Friday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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