BY BROCK SHERIDAN
G W’s Girl and jockey Francisco Arrieta ran down heavy favorite Shisospicy in deep stretch to win the $150,000 Mockingbird at Oaklawn Park Saturday. It was the first career stakes victory for G W’s Girl, who defeated eight other 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs.
Sent to the post at 2-5 odds, Shisospicy broke best of all from post seven and had a length advantage early before 33-1 longshot Lady Crush sprinted up from the inside to take the lead with five furlongs to run. G W’s Girl settled into fourth on the rail with Clapping Trees to her outside, about five lengths behind Lady Crush, who blazed through the first quarter mile in :21.60.
Lady Crush surrendered in the turn as Shisospicy took the lead with Chatter giving chase in second and G W’s Girl still four lengths back in third. Shisospicy hit the top of the stretch three lengths in front of Chatter as G W’s Girl was full of run on the outside and began closing in. G W’s Girl ran down Shisospicy inside the final 50 yards to win by a length in 1:10.44 on the fast track. Shisospicy finished second, five-and-a-half lengths clear of Chatter in third. They were followed by Flash Master, Helen’s Revenge, Piggy Tales Up, Battleshipper, Lady Crush and Clapping Trees.
G W’s Girl paid $12.80 to win.
It was also the first start on dirt for G W’s Girl, who broke her maiden by a length-and-a-half going five furlongs on the grass at Delaware Park in September. Trainer Greg Compton then sent her to Keeneland to face the boys in the $238,000 Indian Summer at five-and-a-half furlongs on the grass on where she finished fifth behind winner Governor Sam on Oct. 6.
“[Tainer Greg Compton] worked her on the dirt and said he liked her. I did work her on the dirt. I liked her, too,” Arrietta said.
“Looked like there was going to be a lot of speed, which was going to be good for me. But she jumped. She was sitting right there. Flavien Prat’s horse [Shisospicy] was running. When I took a look, he was like three [lengths] in front of me and going. When I [asked] her with the whip, she reached forward quickly. She did a great job.”
Compton said that G W’s Girl is equally productive on all surfaces.
“She’s a classy filly. She showed it today. Surface doesn’t matter,” the trainer said.
“Hopefully, she can stretch out at the mile and a sixteenth next time. Actually, what was going through my mind is a just a picture-perfect scenario. We had somebody (Lady Crush) go up and pressure the 7 (Shisospicy) and we were able to sit back and get a nice trip.”
G W’s Girl earned $81,000 for owner Mag Racing LLC to push her lifetime bankroll to $110,475 in her three races. Mag Racing purchased her for $130,000 out of the Triple J Equine Sales consignment at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale. She was also an $80,000 yearling at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
By Munnings out of Essence of Audre, by Exchange Rate, G W’s Girl was bred in Florida by Larry Alan Wynn of Newberry, Fla. She is the first stakes winner for Essence of Audre, who has four winners from four starters and six foals. Essence of Audre also has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Basin and an unnamed yearling colt by Mitole.
