By US Racing Team
Published November 5, 2026, 3:12 p.m. ET
The 2026 Grade 2, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes runs Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Belmont Park as Race 9, with post time 3:43 p.m. ET, over 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes winner Bodacious Bay (post 7) is the expected favorite, with her morning line 5/2, while unbeaten Intrepids Fantasy (post 10) is 8-1 on the morning line.
Eleven 3-year-old fillies were entered for the 71st running, per America’s Best Racing, and rain in the Saturday forecast could put the race on a wet track.
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2026 Mother Goose Stakes Field and Morning Line Odds
2026 Mother Goose Stakes (Grade II) Odds, Post Positions & Entries
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Cognition | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | 9/2 |
| 2 | Answered Prayers | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | 8/1 |
| 3 | Tap to Open | Manuel Franco | Brad H. Cox | 5/1 |
| 4 | Laken | Vincent Cheminaud | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | 20/1 |
| 5 | Iron Orchard | Dylan Davis | Steven M. Asmussen | 12/1 |
| 6 | Ati Girl | John R. Velazquez | William I. Mott | 6/1 |
| 7 | Bodacious Bay | Patrick Husbands | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | 5/2 |
| 8 | Ivy Girl | Antonio Fresu | A. J. Green | 30/1 |
| 9 | Tahlequah | Paco Lopez | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | 12/1 |
| 10 | Intrepids Fantasy | Jorge Ruiz | Gary Capuano | 8/1 |
| 11 | Run Wild | Samuel Marin | Miguel Clement | 15/1 |
Official entries for the Mother Goose Stakes (Grade II). Post time: 3:43 PM ET. Entries are subject to scratches and race-day changes.
Last Updated on 11/05/2026
Mother Goose Stakes 2026 Key Facts
- Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026, Belmont Park, Race 9
- Post time: 3:43 p.m. ET (first post 11:40 a.m. ET)
- Expected favorite: Bodacious Bay, morning line 5/2
- Distance: 1 1/16 miles, dirt, one turn, 3-year-old fillies, $300,000
- TV: FS2 (12:30–4:30 p.m. ET) and FanDuel TV
- Where to bet: BUSR, up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus
Who is the favorite in the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes?
Bodacious Bay is the expected favorite in the 2026 Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes. The Not This Time filly won the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on September 19 by 3 1/4 lengths over Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner and has never finished worse than second in five starts. Her morning line is 5/2.
According to America’s Best Racing, her 101 Equibase Speed Figure in the Cotillion is the best in this field, and she won her maiden at 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy Churchill Downs track in June. Micah J. Husbands stays aboard for trainer Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. That pairing has won 9 of 27 graded stakes together over the past year (33%).
What time is the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes?
The 2026 Mother Goose Stakes has a post time of 3:43 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 7, 2026. It is Race 9 on the Belmont Park card, which opens with a first post of 11:40 a.m. ET, per the New York Racing Association. The Dwyer Stakes goes one race earlier, at 3:12 p.m. ET.
Which horses can beat Bodacious Bay?
Intrepids Fantasy, Tap to Open and Iron Orchard are the main threats to Bodacious Bay. Intrepids Fantasy is 3-for-3 by a combined 23 1/2 lengths, Tap to Open won three straight this summer before a troubled Cotillion, and Iron Orchard is a Grade 1 winner who won the Fleet Indian Stakes by 12 lengths in August.
- Intrepids Fantasy (8-1): Faces three firsts at once, per trainer Gary Capuano: first stakes, first one-turn race, and first start without Lasix. She is 2-for-2 on wet dirt.
- Tap to Open: Won the Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx Racing, then stumbled at the start and raced wide when 4th in the Cotillion. Manuel Franco takes over from Flavien Prat. Brad H. Cox and Franco win at 30% from 332 starts at NYRA tracks over three years.
- Iron Orchard: Won the 2025 Grade 1 Frizette Stakes but finished 8th, beaten well, in the Cotillion.
- Cognition: Chad C. Brown won this race last year. His filly won a 7-furlong Keeneland maiden by 4 lengths on October 2 but makes only her third start, first in a route and first in graded company.
Mother Goose Stakes 2026 Betting Angle
The value in the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes sits with Intrepids Fantasy at 8-1. A one-turn 1 1/16 miles softens her outside post, her speed figures have risen in every start (Equibase 74, 83, 90), and a wet track would suit a filly unbeaten on off going.
Bodacious Bay is the most reliable filly in the race and belongs in every exotic. At a short price, she is a better key underneath than a stand-alone win bet. Tap to Open is the overlooked contender: throw out the Cotillion and her form is as good as anyone’s.
Bets to consider:
- Win: Intrepids Fantasy (#10) at the 8-1 morning line or better.
- Exacta: Box #7 Bodacious Bay and #10 Intrepids Fantasy. Example: a $5 box costs $10.
- Trifecta: Box #3 Tap to Open, #7 Bodacious Bay and #10 Intrepids Fantasy. Example: a $1 box costs $6.
Check the morning line and scratches before betting. Track condition can change the shape of this race.
Who won the Mother Goose Stakes last year?
Fully Subscribed won the 2025 Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack by 4 1/2 lengths over Kentucky Oaks runner-up Drexel Hill, finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.73 for trainer Chad C. Brown and jockey Dylan Davis. She later ran 2nd in the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The 2026 race returns to the new Belmont Park at a shorter 1 1/16 miles around one turn. Past winners include Rachel Alexandra, Close Hatches, Untapable and Midnight Bisou.
How do I bet the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes?
You can bet the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes at BUSR. Open an account, deposit, go to Belmont Park Race 9 on Saturday, November 7, and choose win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, or superfecta before the 3:43 p.m. ET post time. New members qualify for up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus.
See more on Belmont Park, the Mother Goose Stakes, today’s horse racing odds and our 2026 Breeders’ Cup coverage.
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When is the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes?
Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Belmont Park, Race 9, post time 3:43 p.m. ET.
Who is the favorite in the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes?
Bodacious Bay, the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes winner, from post 7. Morning line TBA.
How far is the Mother Goose Stakes?
1 1/16 miles on the dirt, around one turn, for 3-year-old fillies.
Who won the 2025 Mother Goose Stakes?
Fully Subscribed, by 4 1/2 lengths, for Chad C. Brown and Dylan Davis, in 1:49.73.
What channel is the Mother Goose Stakes on?
FS2 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET and FanDuel TV.
Where can I bet on the Mother Goose Stakes?
At BUSR, with up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus for new members.
Bet the 2026 Mother Goose Stakes at BUSR
Get up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus and bet Belmont Park Race 9 on Saturday, November 7: win, exacta, trifecta and more.
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The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
