Central Avenue flashes home for third in G2 Golden Rod Stakes

Central Avenue produced a late run to snatch third near the line in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs, USA, on Saturday, 25 November.

The Michael Stidham-trained juvenile, who had chased home Breeders’ Cup winner Just F Y I on her previous outing in the G1 Frizette Stakes, was squeezed for room leaving the stalls and soon raced in sixth of the eight runners.

Javier Castellano switched Central Avenue out leaving the back and the Street Sense filly moved up to fifth turning in as the pace-setting West Sunset came back to the field.

Intricate quickened clear entering the final furlong, with Central Avenue unleashing a late charge to take third from Dozen Diamonds in the final strides, narrowly missing out on second by a neck.

It was a second successive year that a Godolphin filly had finished third in the Golden Rod Stakes. Pretty Mischievous filled the same spot in 2022 before returning to Churchill Downs to capture this season’s Kentucky Oaks.