Five G clinches Kentucky Oaks berth with victory in Gulfstream Park Oaks
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Five G was put on the lead early by rider Manny Franco and was never seriously challenged as she scored a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks to punch her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in five weeks.
The easy victory validated the decision by owner Mike Gatsas and trainer George Weaver to run Five G in the Kentucky Oaks rather than ship to Kentucky for next Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Ashland at Keeneland.
“It was a pretty hard decision, we would [have] a legitimate chance to win the Ashland, too; it’s a Grade 1, a lot more money,” Weaver said. “But thinking about the Kentucky Oaks, the placement of this race, being able to stay here and go to Kentucky just for the Oaks, we liked that a little better.”
Five G had already shipped once from Florida to Arkansas, where on Feb. 23 she ran a gutsy second in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes after being gunned to the lead by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 13.
On Saturday, Five G had post 3 in a field of six. Manny Franco, subbing for an injured Tyler Gaffalione, said he thought Anna’s Promise, under Luis Saez, might go to the lead. But when that filly didn’t go, Franco decided to put his filly in front.
Five G had a measured one-length lead over Anna’s Promise through fractions of 23.62 seconds for the quarter, 47.11 for the half and 1:11.19 for six furlongs.
“I let her go into the first turn, after that she was happy and comfortable and she was doing it so nice and easy, I was happy with the way she was traveling,” Franco said
Though Anna’s Promise tried to make a run, Five G had plenty left with which to finish and cruised home a comfortable winner.
Five G, a New York-bred daughter of Vekoma, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.22 and returned $4.60 to win. Five G was given a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
Anna’s Promise finished second, 10 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Cassiar. Whatintheliteral finished fourth followed by Paradise City.
The Queens M G, the second choice in the Gulfstream Oaks after winning the Grade 2 Davona Dale last out, was pulled up in the stretch by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Part owner Mark Cornett said The Queens M G has a knee injury. She was walked onto the equine ambulance and vanned off the track. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said later in the day that The Queens M G was scheduled to undergo surgery in coming days.
Five G earned 100 qualifying points and now has 125 and is firmly in the race.
“It just keeps on getting tougher from this point,” Weaver said. “She’s got good seasoning in her, we got the points to get in now, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Anna’s Promise earned 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks, should her connections decide to point that way.
- additional reporting by Mike Welsch
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