Long shot delivers

Band of Gold was the 24-1 winner of Saturday’s $150,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn.

Ken McPeek, who won the 2020 Preakness with filly Swiss Skydiver, has a Kentucky Oaks contender with 20 points toward a start in the elite race for 3-yearold fillies at Churchill Downs on May 3.

On Saturtday, Band of Gold swooped past even-money favorite Denim of Pearls in midstretch. Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the winner, a nose best in her opener Nov. 25 in an off-the-turf mile at Churchill Downs and then dusted when fifth in a two-turn stakes race Dec. 23 in New Orleans.

The March foal worked a “bullet” three furlongs Jan. 9 at Oaklawn before the track was closed after a bout of winter weather. McPeek prescribed a five-furlong work over the track, Jan. 28 in the mud, one day after the Martha Washington’s original date.

Though not the hottest of sires, Preservationist won the Grade I Woodward and Grade II Suburban in New York when trained by Jimmy Jerkens. Band of Gold was foaled by a daughter of Cairo Prince, .

Band of Gold bankrolled $135,000 in the nongraded race and paid $50.80, $15 and $7.40. She covered the 1 1/16 mile in 1:45.16 over a sloppy, sealed surface.

Denim and Pearls, whose stablemate Wet Paint won the Martha Washington and two Grade III Oaklawn stakes last year for Brad Cox, was second, 2 3/4 lengths back and a neck ahead of Steve Asmussen-trained Neom Beach. Oaks qualifying points went also to fourthand fifth-place runners Tapit Jenallie and Promisemeanempire for respective trainers Eddie Milligan Jr. and Robertino Diodoro.