Marissa's Lady returned to Turfway Park and picked up where she left off, scoring her fourth stakes victory at the Florence, Ky., track by getting up late over pacesetter B G Warrior for a narrow victory in the $125,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes on Saturday night. B G Warrior, herself a consistent stakes performer at Turfway, set a snappy pace on the Tapeta, getting her opening quarter in 21.95 seconds and the half in 43.95 seconds. She opened a two-length lead over Marissa's Lady ($5.46) in upper stretch. Marissa’s Lady, who had stalked throughout, had dead aim when roused by Rafael Bejarano, and found her best stride in the final stakes to edge the pacesetter by a neck at the wire. Bling was another neck back in third in the full field of 12, as the six furlongs were completed in 1:09.42. The Holiday Inaugural was the first of three stakes in Turfway’s “Make Your Mare” series partnership with Claiborne Farm, in which the top three finishers received credits of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, respectively, toward the stud fee of any Claiborne stallion. The credits are good through the end of the 2025 breeding season. The remaining races in this series are the $125,000 My Charmer Stakes on Dec. 9 and the $125,000 Likely Exchange Stakes on Jan. 13. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Marissa's Lady, who was a stakes winner on dirt at Churchill Downs in the fall of her 2-year-old campaign, blossomed at Turfway in the winter of 2021-22 for Billy Morey. After winning the Gowell and Valdale Stakes, she tried going a mile in the Cincinnati Trophy and was a solid second. Cut back to sprinting, she bounced right back to win the Serena's Song Stakes in March 2022. That would be Marissa's Lady's last appearance under colors at Turfway until Saturday night. After finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on dirt and fifth in the Blue Sparkler on turf, she went to the sidelines. After finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Winning Colors on dirt in her first start in nearly 10 months, the filly got back in the winner's circle in an allowance-optional claiming race in July at Presque Isle Downs, which also utilizes a Tapeta surface. A victory in the track's Satin and Lace Stakes and a close runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters followed. A second-place finish in a Keeneland turf allowance in October prepared Marissa's Lady for this winter season at Turfway - where she appears poised to be a solid force throughout the meet. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.