OLDSMAR, Fla. - Going to the far turn of Saturday’s Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Junior Alvarado, aboard Destino d’Oro, had to drop back to last when longshot Aunt Mo started backing up into his filly.
“I thought this was over,” Alvarado said.
But Destino d’Oro didn’t. Despite having to rally five wide, Destino d’Oro outfinished favored Whiskey Decision to win the $200,000 Hillsborough by a nose. Whiskey Decision finished a neck in front of Proctor Street, who was a half-length in front of Child of the Moon.
It was the third straight win for Destino d’Oro, who was coming off back-to-back wins in the Tropical Park Oaks and Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, both at Gulfstream Park.
Not only did Destino d’Oro have to overcome being shuffled back to last, she had to re-rally into a pedestrian pace. And One More Time, under Javier Castellano, ran a half-mile in 49.90 seconds and six furlongs in 1:15.48 before Proctor Street took over the lead.
Whiskey Decision, the 3-2 favorite under Flavien Prat, saved all the ground before tipping out three-wide in the stretch. As she was overtaking the leaders, Destino d’Oro was rallying outside of her and just got up in time.
“She just kept coming,” Alvarado said. “She’s a very good filly. I’m really excited for her because today was a trip for her to get beat and she came out with a run and put myself in the winner’s circle.”
Trainer Brad Cox said he wasn’t loving any part of the trip until the wire came up.
“She showed how honest she is, maybe how good she is overcoming that, getting out in the middle of the track down the lane and finishing up well,” Cox said.
Destino d’Oro covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.18 and returned $8 as the second choice.
Prat, on Whiskey Decision, said “that was a tough beat. We went so slow, she was traveling well. When I tipped her out she gave me a good effort, she was just run down.”
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