BY BROCK SHERIDAN

NBS Stable’s Florida-bred Ground Support lit up the Kentucky Downs tote board with an explosive victory at odds of 100-1 in a $132,436 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. going a mile on the turf.

Ground Support and jockey Adam Beschizza were last away from post one in field of 12 as 5-2 favorite La Dolce Vita and Irad Ortiz Jr. went quickly to the front to take a clear lead around the first right handed turn. La Dolce Vita continued to show the way through a half mile in :45.87 as Beschizza placed Ground Support a close up fourth in a ground-saving spot on the rail before slicing through an inside gap coming out of the final turn. La Dolce Vita and Ground Support locked up at the quarter pole before Ground Support spurted clear inside the final furlong. She then kept clear of a late running Secretly Delighted to win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:43.43 on the firm turf. Secretly Delighted finished three lengths ahead of Bohemian in third.

Ground Support is by Army Mule out of the stakes-placed mare Arch Support, by Arch and was bred in Florida by Champion Equine LLC. She earned $54,000.

NBS Stables and John Ballantyne purchased Ground Support for $80,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training in May. McCrocklin also consigned her to the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale but she did not meet her $90,000 reserve.

Ground Support is a half-sister to Catenanria, the dam of graded stakes-placed San Siro. Arch Support is a half-sister to stakes-placed Witchesofwestfield, Bonding and stakes-producer Breaking Promises.

Return to the August 30 issue of Wire to Wire