Ex-claimer Wave of Goodness gets first stakes victory in Marie Krantz Memorial
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Wave of Goodness raced for a $15,000 claiming tag one year ago and for $20,000 in June, but on Saturday became a stakes winner when she held off Lake Lucerne by a neck to win the $100,000 Marie Krantz Memorial at Fair Grounds. The race for fillies and mares was run at about 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Claimed for $15,000 last February by owner-trainer Armando Hernandez, Wave of Goodness out of the blue hit a new, higher level returning from a layoff in September, and she’s been even better in three starts since. Second by a head Dec. 26 over the Fair Grounds grass course in the Blushing K.D. Stakes, Wave of Goodness was second to none in the Krantz.
Mitchell Murrill, who’d ridden Wave of Goodness last month, settled her in second as My Philly Twirl took the early lead, with jockey Florent Geroux keeping her five or six paths off the fence over a grass course that’s been heavily biased toward outside placements. Murrill also stayed wide with Wave of Goodness. They closed the gap on the leader past the three-furlong marker, drawing alongside My Philly Twirl in upper stretch, and took the lead past the eighth pole. Lake Lucerne, racing just a couple paths off the fence near the back of the back in the early and middle stages, split horses under heavy urging at the three-sixteenths pole but couldn’t produce the needed acceleration to run down the winner.
My Philly Twirl held third and Charlie’s Penny was a one-paced fourth. Wave of Goodness paid a generous $13.60 and was timed in 1:49.17 for about 1 1/16 miles over a firm course. The temporary rail, as has been the case all meet, was placed at 34 feet.
Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Wave of Goodness is a 5-year-old by Cairo Prince out of Mandalay Beach, by Lonhro – and she was just good enough Saturday.
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