Explora invades from Southern California for Golden Rod

Nov 23, 2025 Kevin Kerstein/Kentucky Racing Communications

Explora wins the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025) – Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s talented 2-year-old filly Explora is set to invade Churchill Downs from Southern California where she’ll face 12 rivals entered in next Saturday’s 82nd running of the $400,000 Golden Rod (Grade II), a “Prep Season” event on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

The Golden Rod, run at 1 1/16 miles, will award the top five finishers qualifying points based on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale for the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 1. The Golden Rod will share the Saturday spotlight with the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), $225,000 Ed Brown and $225,000 Fern Creek.

Explora enters the Golden Rod fresh off a runner-up effort to Super Corredora in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI). Prior to that race, the daughter of Blame was a dominant 4 1/4-length victor of the Oak Leaf (GII) at Santa Anita and was second to Bottle of Rouge in the Del Mar Debutante (GI). Jockey Flavien Prat has the mount for the Golden Rod and will exit post No. 12.

One of her rivals in the race is Rags to Riches (Listed) winner Life of Joy. Owned by Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm and For The People Racing Stable, the undefeated Life of Joy jumped on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks when she won last month’s Rags to Riches by 2 1/4 lengths over The Grumpy Rabbit. Trained by Brad Cox, who won this race last year with eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer, Life of Joy will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 6.

Life of Joy picks up 10 points towards the Kentucky Oaks in the Rags to Riches! 🤩@bradcoxracing trains the 2YO filly and @iradortiz was aboard.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/5R72lyOLRA

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 26, 2025

The Golden Rod field also includes Edwin Anthony’s Rags to Riches runner-up The Grumpy Rabbit; Belladonna Racing, Twin Brook Stables, Woodford Racing and B.C.W.T.’s 10-length maiden special weight winner Atropa; and trainer Brendan Walsh’s duo of Godolphin’s maiden special weight winner Bella Ballerina and Heider Family Stables’ recent allowance winner Baracca.

The field for the Golden Rod from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Baracca (Axel Concepcion, Walsh)
• Essential Coffee (Corey Lanerie, Steve Asmussen)
• Just Singing (Luan Machado, Kent Sweezy)
• Vita Mia (Junior Alvarado, Armando De La Cerda)
• Letmecounttheways (Joel Rosario, Mike Maker)
• Life of Joy (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox)
• Raspberry (Luis Saez, Whit Beckman)
• Wonzee Weather (Chase Miller, Darrin Miller)
• Atropa (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux)
• Coco Connect (Adam Beschizza, John Ennis)
• Bella Ballerina (Tyler Gaffalione, Walsh)
• Explora (Prat, Baffert)
• The Grumpy Rabbit (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.