Sunday, April 9, 2017
Making his first start in exactly six months, Holding Gold captured the $200,000 Shakertown S. (G2) Saturday at Keeneland to give Live Oak Plantation their second graded stakes win of the day at the central Kentucky track.
As Awesome Slew did in the Commonwealth S. (G2) one race earlier, Holding Gold rallied from off the pace in the Shakertown. The 4-year-old colt split horses in the stretch and collared Green Mask to win the 5 1/2-furlong contest in 1:02.29 on the firm turf.
“Last year we ran him here, and he got beat (2¾) lengths in his last start (in the Oct. 8 Woodford-G3). I said to (owner) Mrs. (Charlotte) Weber (after that race), ‘He’s only 3 years old. Let’s send him home, let him grow up, and if he grows up over the winter, he’s going to be as good as any turf sprinter in North America.’ So maybe we do have one.”
Holding Gold is now 4-2-0 in nine starts and has banked $274,835. The colt's dam In The Gold earned $745,617 and won the Gazelle S. (G1) and Beaumont S. (G2).