BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Miss Mary Nell drew even with front-runner Leo Toro a half mile out then used a ground saving trip around the final turn to slingshot to a clear lead in the stretch and produce an upset victory in the $100,000 Celsius Energy Drink South Beach overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Despite winning of half of her eight starts on the Gulfstream Park synthetic, Miss Mary Nell was let go at odds of 24-1 and paid $50.60 to win against nine other fillies and mares going a mile-and-70-yards on the all-weather course.
Ridden by Joe Bravo for trainer Carlos David, Miss Mary Nell saved ground in fourth around the clubhouse turn while two lengths behind Leo Toro through a :24.65 first quarter mile. Bravo allowed Miss Mary Nell to close the gap in the run down the backstretch before going head-and-head on the lead in the second turn. They spurted clear at the top of the stretch after six-furlongs in 1:12.05 and raced to the wire unchallenged, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:40.18. Warming was second with Awesome Czech third. They were followed in order by Fantasy Performer, Leo Toro, Growth Trajectory, Faith Understood, Fantastic Flame, Brown Sugar and For Flying (Brz).
A Lilac Rolla (Ire), Florida-bred Dancing N Dixie and Lady Firefoot were scratched.
A winner of a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic at Gulfstream in July, Miss Mary Nell was then given a five-month break. She returned in the $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks going a mile-and-sixteenth on the Gulfstream Park turf on December 13 but tired to finish eighth of 12 after setting the early fractions. That was the first time out of the top two in six previous starts that included two other wins against allowance fillies in February and March. She then faced fellow Florida-breds in the $75,000 Filly and Mare Turf at a mile at Gulfstream on January 10, but never got underway, finishing seventh.
The two sub-par races prompted the 117-pound weight assignment in the South Beach, seven less than top-weighted Awesome Czech.
Miss Mary Nell won for the sixth time in 17 career starts and has three seconds and two thirds. She earned $60,000 to increase her career revenues to $287,913. She is by Girvin out of Tempest’s Flash, by It’s No Joke and was bred in Florida by owner Palm Beach Racing.
Return to the January 24 issue of Wire to Wire
