BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Great Venezuela saved ground in the turn then went by a front-running Vindicate Cha Cha at the top of the stretch to win the $60,000 Groupie Doll overnight handicap on the synthetic course at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Making her first start since taking a $62,500 optional claiming sprinting on the Gulfstream grass on August 17, the 5-year-old Florida-bred mare won as the 4-5 favorite in a field of six fillies and mares going five-and-a-half furlongs.
Carry the top weight of 124 pounds and conceding between one and six pounds to her five rivals, Great Venezuela was second, a length-and-a-half behind Florida-bred Vindicate Cha Cha and to the inside of Duboff into the turn then closed in on the leader after a :22.26 quarter-mile fraction. Great Venezuela cut the corner and took over turning for home, drawing off to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:03.37. Braganza swept out of the turn four-wide then rallied to get second by a neck with Vindicate Cha Cha in third. Fantastic Flame, Secret Revenge and Duboff finished in that order. Tiffany Gold was scratched.
Great Venezuela paid $3.80 to win.
Trained by Victor Barboza Jr., Great Venezuela won the her third overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park having taken the $70,000 Portofino going five furlongs on grass in June of last year and the $100,000 Islamorada over five-and-a-half furlongs on synthetic on December 3.
She started this year with a fifth in Twirling Queen’s $100,000 Captiva Island on March 14 then was third in three overnight handicap sprints on turf and the all-weather course at Gulfstream Park in April, June and July before taking the previously mentioned optional claiming.
Great Venezuela has won half of her 22 career races with four seconds and five thirds with her only races out of the top three coming in the Captiva Island and when fourth in the $201,000 Senator Ken Maddy (Listed) won by Florida-bred Queen Maxima at Del Mar on October 31 last year.
She is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Pat M’s Image, by Leroidesanimaux (Brz).
Return to the November 14 issue of Wire to Wire
