By Dick Jerardi
Diva’s Gold was purchased for $25,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September sale. She had been claimed four times when she was entered for $15,000 at Monmouth Park on Aug. 14, 2010. Bob Krangel’s Kasey K Racing Stable claimed her for the $15,000 that has turned into horse racing gold.
The latest evidence was on display Saturday at Laurel Park when Diva’s Gold’s granddaughter Takethemoneyhoney ran exactly like a 1-9 shot should by overwhelming the field in the $100,000 Geisha Stakes, going right the front and winning by 6 3/4 lengths for owners Kasey K, Michael Day, and Final Turn Racing Stable, trainer Michael Moore and jockey Eliseo Ruiz. The now 5-year-old mare has raced eight times, with six wins and two seconds, one by a head, the other by a nose. She is that close to being 8-for-8.
“I’ve had periods of horses’ careers where they reeled off a (streak), for instance Brother Chub basically everytime was first or second for maybe like 10 or 11 races in a row,” Moore said. “But that was part of his career where this filly has done it every race for eight straight races.”
Diva’s Gold won nearly $400,000 for her various owners, but the money tree has been growing for years. Takethemoneyhoney’s dam, Goodonehoney, won the 2018 Weber City Miss at Laurel before finishing unplaced in the Black Eyed Susan. Moore took over her training after that, and she finished second in the Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park.
If that were it for Diva’s Gold, that would be something. But it is truly something else when you know that her son ran for the 39th time exactly 90 minutes after the Geisha. That would be the amazing 7-year-old Twisted Ride who, even after a rare subpar performance in that $100,000 Handicap at Laurel, has banked $787,488, with 11 wins, 8 seconds and 6 thirds.
“Somebody interviewed Bob Krangel down at Laurel and Bob even said ‘people look at us breeding wise like we know what we’re doing and we just got lucky,'” Moore said.
Lucky or not, that $15,000 investment more than 15 years ago is still paying off.
Takethemoneyhoney has now banked $311,770. Moore, who has managed her career perfectly, said he is considering the Feb. 14 $200,000 7-furlong Barbara Fritchie at Laurel for her next start.
“I always want to get the easiest race possible, like the other day, Maryland bred race, she’s 1-9,” Moore said. “To me, I’m like ‘wow, that’s great. She doesn’t have to put out 110 percent.'”
No, she did not.
“You don’t see horses win like that too often,” Moore said. “Eliseo never really moves on her.”
The Barbara Fritchie won’t be as easy, but Takethemoneyhoney may be good enough. All she does is run hard every time she comes out of the starting gate.
“Seven eighths probably hits her pretty good,” Moore said. “As long as she’s doing okay, that’s a possibility.”
Goodonehoney is at Slymar Farm, where Diva’s Gold was in her broodmare days. And, after her racing career, Takethemoneyhoney certainly figures to be in demand as a broodmare so that $15,000 can keep on giving.
