03/08/2011 7:23PM

Mardi Gras Stakes goes to Street Storm by a neck

By Marcus Hersh
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Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography
Street Storm (left), Jesse Campbell up, wins the Mardi Gras.

Street Storm wore down favored Aide to win an off-the-turf edition of the $59,400 Mardi Gras Stakes on a special Tuesday card in New Orleans.

Trained by Steve Margolis for Right Time Racing LLC and ridden to victory by Jesse Campbell, Street Storm tracked a solid pace from fourth place much of the trip, launching a three-wide rally at the top of the stretch that eventually propelled her to victory. Both Aide, who pressed the pace two paths wide, and rail-rallying Cryptocandiac had a chance to win in the final furlong, but it was Street Storm doing the slightly better work to prevail by a neck. That same margin separated Aide and Cryptocandiac for the place slot, with the rest of the field far behind the leading trio.

Street Storm ($19.80), a daughter of Stormy Atlantic racing in her first dirt route, won for just the second time in a seven-start career. She was timed in 1:43.77 for one mile and 70 yards in a race forced to the main track by heavy weekend rain.