HALLANDALE BEACH –Cookie Dough broke through with her first win in four career starts in Saturday’s $200,000, 7-furlong Susan’s Girl Division of the Florida Sire Stakes, providing trainer Stanley Gold with his record-extending 19th triumph in the series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.
Arindel Farm’s homebred filly paid $26 after she dominated eight rivals by 6 ½ lengths under Jeffrey Sanchez. She graduated after a pair of trouble-filled third-place finishes in maiden races and a sixth-place finish in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the first leg of the FSS Aug. 4 in which she was involved in a blazing early speed duel.
“We’ve always been in trouble with her," Gold said. "The first time out she got knocked into the rail and got hurt pretty bad and had to go home and have some time off. The second time she ran she got pushed into the rail. She got banged up but didn’t have to go home. We just never had a clean trip, and I thought she was one of our two best fillies. She had a clean trip today, brought her A Game and did it.”
Cookie Dough broke alertly from her No. 10 post position and rated well while pressing pacesetter Nancysaidso along the backstretch past fractions of 22.93 and 46.48 for the first four furlongs. Under confident handling by Sanchez, Cookie Dough responded when asked for her kick leaving the turn and into the stretch, quickly opening up on the field and drawing off to a commanding victory.
“Last time she got the lead and I didn’t want to take her back," Sanchez said. "But she runs better when she has one horse in front. When you’re ready, when she has a horse in front, and you ask her to run, she gives everything.”
Cookie Dough, a daughter of red-hot second-crop sire Brethren, ran seven furlongs in 1:24.46, giving her trainer his first FSS win for Arindel Farms after saddling 18 winners for a former client, Jacks or Better Farm.
“I don’t really think about that, but it’s exciting to win the first because it is No. 19,” Gold said. “It’s nice not to fade away and not win any for a long time.”
Starship Nala, fifth in the six-furlong Desert Vixen, finished second after stalking the pace. Blazing Brook finished another length back in third. Capture Your Dream, the 3-5 favorite who won the Desert Vixen, faded to sixth after being forwardly placed into the stretch.
Gold said Cookie Dough would be pointed to the $400,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile FSS finale for fillies on Sept. 29.