Hibiscus Punch ($85.60) surprises in Runhappy Barbara Fritchie
For the first half-mile of the Grade 3, 7-furlong Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, the plot went as expected.
Dontletsweetfoolya, a speedy winner of her last five starts, had the lead and the rail. Odds-on favorite Hello Beautiful, a perfect 7 for 7 over Laurel's main track, was attached to her hip. They were going fast.
Turning for home, the script flipped as both pacesetters faltered badly. Hibiscus Punch, dismissed at 41 to 1 in the eight-horse field, sat in the catbird's seat behind fractions of 22.75 and 45.51 seconds. When jockey Horacio Karamanos pushed the button, Hibiscus Punch passed the favorites with surprising ease.
"I thought we were in pretty good shape, especially at the three-eighths pole," winning trainer Justin Nixon said in an interview broadcast by Laurel. "It looked like she was moving forward pretty well and Horacio gave her a great ride. From there, it was good times."
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Hibiscus Punch ($85.60) pulled off the upset by 2 1/2 lengths over wide-rallying 18 to 1 shot Estilo Talentoso. Completing the longshot parade under the wire were 12 to 1 Club Car in third, with 34 to 1 Needs Supervision finishing fourth. The $1 superfecta paid $27,875,40.
Hibiscus Punch completed the 7 furlongs in 1:23.16.
Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya finished a gassed fifth and seventh, respectively. Third-choice Sharp Starr, winner of the Grade 3 Go For Wand at Aqueduct two starts prior, checked in a non-threatening sixth.
Hibiscus Punch is a 6-year-old daughter of Into Mischief. She made her first four starts over turf and synthetic in Canada before being transferred to trainer Justin Nixon's shed row.
After almost a year off, Hibiscus Punch returned to the races with a third-place effort in her dirt debut. She then finished second behind Dontletsweetfoolya in the Willa On the Move Stakes on Dec. 26 before taking her first-level allowance condition last month.
Nixon discussed how he handled the postponement from the Fritchie’s original Feb. 20 race date: "We tried not to overdo it with her. She was coming back a bit quick. She came back in three weeks to win and it was going to be four weeks and I think the extra week might have helped us."