There is not much of a Carnival season in Germany, but the German-bred filly Gavea showed her blitzing run going last to first capturing the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes on Tuesday in New Orleans.
Jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. said in a post-race interview that an outside move had been planned for the Mardi Gras, a 5 1/2-furlong turf race for older fillies and mares. But when Pedroza turned for home and saw a gaping opening along the rail, where he already was, plans changed.
“I saw the hole and I said, 'You know what? I’ll go inside,'” Pedroza said.
Gavea took care of the rest, knifing between horses in the final half-furlong to post a three-quarters length victory over another late runner, Big Trouble. Big Trouble had a chance to stay inside, making her own rally from seventh in an eight-runner field, but was swung to the far outside, where she lost momentum, brushed with inside rivals, and found her best stride too late.
Big Trouble finished three-quarters of a length in front of third-place Accomplished Girl, who battled for the lead with fourth place Non Violence and eventually succumbed as the 6-5 favorite. Oeuvre finished a competitive fifth, with her $4,000 paycheck pushing her career earnings past $1 million.
New Orleans native Al Stall trains the winner for Bal Mar Equine, who found success buying the German filly Dalika in 2018. Trained by Stall, Dalika won multiple graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Beverly D, and was retired with $1.4 million in earnings.
Gavea is by Gleneagles out of Goiania, by Oasis Dream. Gavea has a miler’s pedigree and won a two-turn allowance race in her North American debut after racing once in Germany. But after failing to show late spark in November and December route races last year, Stall turned her back to a sprint on Feb. 5. Gavea closed strongly and got up to win that second-level allowance race, and she went considerably better than that on Tuesday.
“We thought, 'Let’s cut her back and see if she has more punch,'” Stall said. “It doesn’t work all the time, but it worked this time.”
Racing over a firm course with the temporary rail set at 14 feet, Gavea was timed in 1:05.31 and paid $25.70 to win her first stakes race.
The Mardi Gras was not a parade. Closers ran one-two. New Orleans’ colorful past includes periods of French and Spanish governance. A German filly was best this Mardi Gras Day.
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