BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL –Back on her home turf—make that synthetic—Orlyana Farms’ Great Venezuela continued her impressive domination over sprinting fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park Sunday with a two-and-a-half-length victory in the $100,000 Islamorada overnight handicap.
Florida-bred Great Venezuela, who finished worse than third for the first time while running fourth in the $201,000 Sen. Ken Maddy going six furlongs on the Del Mar turf course Oct. 31, rebounded with an authoritative score to collect her seventh victory in eight starts on the all-weather surface. The 4-year-old daughter of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic, who finished second in her only other synthetic start, has now won nine races on the all-weather course or turf in her 16-race career that also includes five seconds and two thirds.
“She’s been an amazing filly for us,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “She’s a good filly at five furlongs, five-and-a-half-furlongs.”
Twirling Queen, a multiple stakes winner who carried one more pound than Great Venezuela as the 124-pound highweight, set the pace in the five-and-a-half-furlong handicap for fillies and mares with the Barboza-trained even-money favorite in close attendance. Twirling Queen, who set fractions of :22.03 and :44.52 for a half-mile, was overtaken at the top of the stretch by Great Venezuela, who drew off to win comfortably under Emisael Jaramillo.
“At the beginning of the race we had a great start. I pulled Great Venezuela alongside Twirling Queen and didn’t give her any breather,” Jaramillo said. “It worked out very well, because she has such a big kick in the stretch.”
Great Venezuela never had the opportunity to get clear running room in the Sen. Ken Maddy while forcing the pace between horses before coming up short in the stretch to finish two-and-a-half lengths off the winner, Florida-bred Queen Maxima, a multiple graded stakes winner.
“She ran a good race. It was a different track and a different distance,” Barboza said. “It was a good race for the filly, beaten less than three lengths.”
Great Venezuela was obviously more suited to the distance and surface of Sunday’s Islamorada.
“She’s different on the Tapeta track,” Barboza said. “Her movement is very strong.”
Great Venezuela ran five-and-a-half furlongs in 1:01.78. Barboza-trained Le Amazonia closed from off the pace to finish second, a neck ahead of Sporting Lady, whose stablemate Twirling Queen faded to sixth.
Great Venezuela has now won eight with four seconds and two thirds in 15 lifetime races. Out of Pat M’s Image, by Leroidesanimaux (Brz), she has $426,620 in career earnings.
Return to the December 2 issue of Wire to Wire
