It appears in spoilers that Gold will travel to Manhattan with Emma, believing they are searching for Bae. They instead find Neal, who I am thinking, as others has proposed is the White Rabbit. Cora having been the QoH could certainly known of the White Rabbit. And she has simply sent Gold/Emma to “chase a rabbit” while she is up to no good back in Storybrooke”.
The way I see it Neal being the White Rabbit just points back to him being Bae. The White Rabbit went down a hole to another world. Bae went down a hole to another world. Alice followed the White Rabbit to another world. Emma followed Bae to another world.