Forever Liesl pulls away late to win Ladies Handicap
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Michelle Nevin left Aqueduct a bit frustrated Saturday after Skylar’s Scramjet was run down by Solid Wager and had to settle for second in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes.
Twenty-four hours later, Nevin was feeling much better after Forever Liesl pulled away late from Sara Street to win the $100,000 Ladies Handicap by 4 1/4 lengths at sloppy Aqueduct.
The win was the fifth from 16 career starts for Forever Liesl, but her first in eight tries in stakes company. Forever Liesl, a 5-year-old daughter of Mineshaft owned by Jeffrey Kallenberg, had three seconds and two thirds in seven previous stakes attempts.
“Any kind of win is important, but it’s definitely nice to get a [stakes] win,” Nevin said. “She’s been such a nice filly, she always goes out and tries, gives you what she’s got. Her last race, it was such a messy trip she had to check several times and then just to get beat two lengths was tough.”
Nevin was referring to the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park in which Forever Liesl did check a few times and finished fifth, elevated to fourth due to a disqualification.
On Sunday, Forever Liesl had a clear, albeit wide, trip under Eric Cancel.
Breaking from the outside post in the field of 7, Forever Liesl was four to five wide entering the clubhouse turn. Cancel felt Sara Street, the 3-2 favorite, was the horse to beat and that filly was just about a length in front of him.
Sexy Reasons, under Manny Franco, set the pace, running an opening quarter in 24.09 seconds, a half-mile in 48.91 and six furlongs in 1:14.72. Forever Liesl was sixth, but only 4 1/2 lengths off the lead.
Leaving the half-mile pole, Sara Street, under Dylan Davis, began his move and Cancel followed on Forever Liesl.
The two fillies were virtually on equal terms turning for home and slugged it out through the lane until the sixteenth pole, where Forever Liesl drew clear.
Forever Liesl covered the 1 1/8 miles over a sealed, sloppy surface in 1:54.12 and returned $6.10 as the second choice.
“I wasn’t able to save too much ground, but I wasn’t really concerned about it because I was close and the horse I [wanted to follow] was right next to me, so I thought I was in a good spot,” Cancel said. “Once I asked her she kept on going and never gave up on me.”
Nevin said she didn’t mind about the wide trip because “all day long it seemed like the outside was the better part of the track, I wasn’t too worried about that. I thought she got a nice, clean trip all the way around.”
Sara Street finished second by 7 1/2 lengths over Crimson Frost, who got third by a neck over Total Control. Matty’s Magnum and Sexy Reasons completed the order of finish. Enthrall was pulled up in upper stretch by Rajiv Maragh, but was able to walk off the track without assistance.
