Dolce Lili wins first stakes in South Beach

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The wet weather that hit Gulfstream Park on Saturday forced three grass races onto the main track, but fortunately for Dolce Lili, the $125,000 South Beach remained on the turf, because she loves a course with some cut in the ground.

She won a race on yielding turf at Belmont last fall, and relished similar conditions on Saturday to get the first stakes win of her career in this race for older fillies and mares.

“She likes it,” said jockey John Velazquez, who rode her to both victories, saying the course Saturday was “soft but safe.”

Despite having to race four paths wide throughout, Dolce Lili surged to the lead in upper stretch and held off her challengers in deep stretch to win the 7 1/2-furlong race by a half-length over fast-closing Conquest Hardcandy. Fire Key was a close third.

Dolce Lili ($8.60) provided the second win on the card for trainer Bill Mott, who sent out the 3-year-old colt Hidden Scroll for a runaway debut win two races earlier.

Velazquez said he didn’t mind being well back early while wide.

“It’s a new course where they’re running right now,” Velazquez said. “She pulls when she’s close to the lead. She settled. That was good for us.”

Dolce Lili gradually swooped past her rivals with a steady move on the far turn. She was timed in 1:33.63, nearly six seconds shy of the course record, reflecting how much give there was in the ground.

Dolce Lili, 5, a daughter of Scat Daddy, has now won four times in 12 starts. She was bred and is owned by Don Alberto Stable, which won an Eclipse Award on Thursday night with Unique Bella, who was named champion older female on dirt.