“Tiers of horses” is how Godolphin’s Jim Cox describes the battalions sent out in the stable’s royal blue silks.

“The real good ones will go up north, up to Saratoga,” Cox explained. “And we’ll see where the rest of them play out.”

But some, he allowed, don’t fit so readily into the system.

“There are some… we don’t really know what they’re about,” he added.

One of those, perhaps, is Siesta Key. Bred to be any kind and sent to trainer Brad Cox, he made his career bow in an off-the-turf maiden event at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Saturday, though, he took a significant step forward, slipping through to win the $125,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Siesta Key is now two-for-two in a career that is just over a month old. His first start was August 1.

“I was looking at the Racing Form and he had, I think, a 42 Beyer his first start, which is not great,” Cox said. “But anyway, he really ran well.”

Siesta Key, a son of top sire Into Mischief, is out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Doneraile Court mare Cocoa Beach.

Thrilla, an 18-length winner last out on the Colonial Downs dirt, made the early running in the Kitten’s Joy, carving out an opener in 23.03 seconds and a half-mile in 48.02. Siesta Key was several lengths off the early pace, rounding the first turn two wide and between rivals.

“They rolled out of there at the beginning,” winning rider Manny Franco said. “I was happy with where I was.”

Rounding the far turn, Franco put his mount in gear, Siesta Key kicking in willingly and finding an inviting seam between rivals at the head of the lane. Fortuitously, Thrilla, the longtime leader, drifted out several paths when straightening away for the drive.

“When I saw the two horse went all the way to the outside, I said, ‘I got the perfect trip,’” Franco explained. “I cut the corner and I got the one horse [Aristotle] next to me.”

Those two battled to the wire as Thrilla weakened late to be third, 1 ¼ lengths behind the top pair. The margin between Siesta Key and Aristotle was a nose, Siesta Key landing on the good side of it.

“Coming around the stretch, I was, like, ‘Not today.’ I said, ‘Not today,’” Cox said. “But he found  a second gear and just went on down the stretch.”

Narrowly.

“I wasn’t sure at the photo,” Cox admitted. “But, yeah, he got up.”

The Kitten’s Joy was one of two juvenile races on the card. One race earlier, Paco Lopez came to town and left with the money, piloting Governor Sam to a sharp, front-running score in the $125,000 Rosie’s Stakes, getting 5 ½ furlongs over firm turf in 1:03.51.

The George Weaver trainee is now three-for-four with a pair of stakes wins, the Rosie’s joining Monmouth Park’s Tyro on the trophy shelf. Trained by George Weaver for Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables, Governor Sam is an Improbable colt whose lone defeat, in his career bow, came in the Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream park.

Governor Sam broke well and had a narrow early lead over the filly Sharedashenanigans after a quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds, with Out On Bail perched 1 ½ lengths back. He disposed of Sharedashenanigans in upper stretch, opening up a three-length advantage before cruising home two lengths clear. Out On Bail held second, and Ghostly Rose rallied from ninth to finish third.

Governor Sam, off as the favorite, returned $3.80 to win and topped an exacta that returned $7.00 for a one-dollar wager.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint is a logical target for Governor Sam. Four Wheel Drive used this event as a springboard to a Breeders’ Cup win in 2019.

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