Photo: Candice Chavez / Eclipse Sportswire showcases the star of the show. Undefeated Good Cheer, a Godolphin homebred, is all set to face a talented field of seven 2-year-old fillies in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs. This 1 1/16-mile dirt race offers qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale, leading towards the prestigious Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks.

Key Details and Scheduled Races

The Golden Rod, scheduled as race 9, will have a post time of 4:48 p.m. EST. The 12-race program next Saturday begins at 1 p.m. EST and also features the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), a crucial Kentucky Derby prep season race, along with the $225,000 Ed Brown and $225,000 Fern Creek. Click here for Churchill Downs entries and results to stay updated.

Trainer Brad Cox's Star Filly - Good Cheer

Trained by Brad Cox, Good Cheer has truly dazzled in all three of her starts. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was a dominant winner of the Rags to Riches at Churchill Downs on Oct. 27, drawing off by a remarkable 5 1/2 lengths. Earlier in her campaign, she captured an allowance race by an astonishing 17 lengths and broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis with an 8 1/4-length romp. Leading rider Luis Saez retains the mount and will break from post 3, adding to her chances of success.

Stablemate Éclatant and Other Contenders

Joining Good Cheer in the starting gate for the Golden Rod is her stablemate Éclatant, owned by Stonestreet Stables. The undefeated daughter of Into Mischief is 2-for-2, with both victories coming in sprints. However, the Golden Rod will mark her first attempt around two turns. Jockey Florent Geroux has the call from post 1, ready to guide her.The field also includes Shortleaf Stable’s Quietside, a multiple Grade 1-placed runner trained by John Ortiz. Quietside burst onto the scene in August with a 6 1/4-length maiden-breaking victory at Saratoga under Saez. Since then, she has finished second in the Spinaway (G1) and third in the Alcibiades (G1), both behind eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Immersive. With Saez opting to ride Good Cheer, jockey Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 4.Other contenders like Fixin To Bee (trained by George R. Arnold II with John R. Velazquez), Sturgeon Moon (trained by Paulo H. Lobo with Evin Roman), My Lil Punky (trained by John Ennis with Edgar Morales), and Flash Wear (trained by Thomas D Vance with Cristian A. Torres) are also entered and looking to make their mark in this highly competitive race.Each of these fillies brings their own unique qualities and past performances, making the Golden Rod an exciting event to watch. The battle for the top spots is sure to be intense, and fans are eagerly awaiting the showdown at Churchill Downs.