Maryland-based Marabea takes Claiming Crown Tiara
Marabea rallied to win the Claiming Crown Tiara. Photo by Leslie Martin.
From a Gulfstream Park release
Claimed in September for $25,000, Marabea earned her second consecutive victory for her new connections and her first in a stakes in the $125,000 Claiming Crown Tiara on the Opening Day program of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet.
Marabea, ridden by Jose Lezcano, was a neck winner over Lobella, who finished a neck in front of the third-place finisher, Seeking Treasure, in the field of 14 fillies and mares.
Marabea was claimed by Farfellow Farms Ltd out of a turf race in early-September at Saratoga Race Course. In her first start following the claim for her new owners and trainer Lacey Gaudet, Marabea won a starter allowance race at her Laurel Park base Nov. 6.
Gaudet said she experienced some anxious moments when it appeared Marabea, who raced well off of a dawdling pace that produced a half-mile time of :51.65 in the Crown Tiara, wasn’t going to be able to overcome the crowded quarters she found herself in on the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile turf race.
“I was nervous. She broke fine but then they kind of came over on her,” Gaudet commented. “I thought she was going to be in trouble, but you’ve got to be confident with a rider like Lezcano. He put her in the spot where he knew she need to be and he figured out the right moment and got there in time. He did a great job.”
Gaudet, who was winning her first race ever at Gulfstream Park, said there is more to be discovered about Marabea, who was bred in Great Britain and began her career in Italy.
“I’m not sure what kind of filly she is,” she remarked. “She’s a very, very nice filly. She clearly ran a race back to what she did last time. She could be any kind of filly.”
Lezcano said he realized the pace was slow, but he was content to allow his mount to relax early because she was moving so comfortably.
“[Gaudet] told me she had a little bit of a light mouth so be careful with that,” Lezcano said. “I just let her break and be comfortable. I know the pace was slow. but on the backside I let her go little by little. When I asked her at the quarter pole she really accelerated very good.”
Marabea, a 4-year-old daughter of Archipenko, returned $15.60. She completed the distance in 1:45.43 over a firm course.
