HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After finishing second in her 2-year-old finale on the turf in the Tepin Stakes at Aqueduct, Saturday’s Ginger Brew Stakes on turf seemed the logical spot to begin Five G’s South Florida campaign. Instead, trainer George Weaver opted to put his improving filly back on dirt, a decision that paid big dividends after Five G drew off to a very impressive, nine-length victory over 9-5 favorite Paradise City in the $165,000 Cash Run Stakes, the first of two stakes for newly-turned 3-year-olds on Wednesday’s New Year’s day program at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile Cash Run was Five G’s second start on dirt. The first one didn’t work out very well, the daughter of Vekoma finishing a distant seventh against New York-breds this summer at Saratoga.
“Her first start on dirt wasn’t a good day for her,” Weaver recalled. “She came out of the race a little roughed up, so we took our time with her after that.”
Five G finally returned, nearly 2 1/2 months later, on the turf at Aqueduct, where she defeated New York-bred maidens by four lengths on Nov. 2. She wheeled back quickly, just two weeks later, to finish second, beaten a half-length by Laurelin in the one-mile Tepin.
Five G contested the early pace of the Cash Run with Andrea, the only stakes winner in the lineup, while kept well off the rail in the run down the backstretch by jockey John Velazquez. Five G readily disposed of her early pursuer while still in hand midway on the turn, disposed of a mild challenge from Unchained Elaine entering the stretch, then increased her advantage steadily to the wire. Paradise City, back with her own kind after finishing fourth against males in her previous outing, was second best while never menacing the winner.
Five G ran the distance over a fast track in 1:38.11 seconds and paid $12.40.
“When they got into the turn she had the lead, everyone was scrubbing and we weren’t yet, so I thought we might be alright here,” said Weaver. “It didn’t surprise me she ran that well because she worked so well on the dirt, although some turf horses will do that and just don’t give it to you in the afternoon on dirt. But that was impressive.”
Weaver said the fact he had another top contender for the Ginger Brew on Saturday, recent maiden winner Good Long Cry, was not the reason he chose to run Five G in the Cash Run.
“I said, the way she’s working, we need to try her on the dirt again, it was just a matter of when, and after taking a look at the fillies in this race, I thought it was a good place to find out,” Weaver explained. “Now we have a horse to try to get on the [Kentucky] Oaks trail and there are plenty of options to do that, both here and elsewhere, during the winter.”
Mi Bago leads all the way in Dania Beach
Turf, dirt, or Tapeta, it doesn’t seem to matter for the versatile Mi Bago.
Less than five weeks after registering a wire-to-wire, five-length victory on the grass in the Pulpit Stakes in his juvenile finale, Mi Bago repeated the performance to kick off his 3-year-old campaign, this time over the synthetic Tapeta surface. Again leading every step of the way, Mi Bago held off a belated run by Hammerhead to take the $165,000 Dania Beach. The Mark Casse-trained son of Vekoma filled in admirably for stablemate Dream On, the 6-5 morning-line favorite, who was scratched earlier in the day.
The Dania Beach was originally scheduled to be run at one mile on the turf but was switched to the Tapeta track and decided at one mile and 70 yards due to overnight rain.
Mi Bago, who had never previous competed on a synthetic track, broke very alertly and quickly seized control of the lead. Under confident handling by jockey Edwin Gonzalez, Mi Bago settled into the stretch with a clear advantage then withstood a final surge by Hammerhead when sharply roused through the final furlong. Hammerhead, who finished second on the synthetic track at Woodbine a month earlier to close out her 2-year-old season, raced forwardly from the outset, and finished with good determination but could not get to the winner. Maui Strong rallied mildly to be third while never threatening the top two.
Purchased privately by owner Gary Barber after winning his career debut on dirt this summer at Colonial Downs, Mi Bago covered the distance in 1:39.17 and returned $3.60.
“I broke out of the gate and he put me right there,” said Gonzalez, who won his first Gulfstream Park riding title during the Sunshine meet this fall. “He was pulling my arm, he wanted to keep going. I wanted to keep him nice and relaxed and he finished well.”
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