Ministry makes Rainbow Miss first stakes triumph

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Ministry and her trainer, Jaime N. Gonzalez, both won the first stakes race of their careers Saturday when Ministry powered to a 6 3/4-lengths victory over Superstar Bea in the $100,000 Rainbow Miss at Oaklawn.

It was another 2 1/4 back to favorite Ms Fifty First Street in third.

The Rainbow Miss was a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas. It complemented weekend festivities of the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association. The group had its annual awards banquet Friday night in Hot Springs.

Ministry ($6.60) was forced to steady soon after the start of the Rainbow Miss, and was content to settle a few lengths off the pace set by Ms Fifty First Street. The leader took the field through fractions of 22.33 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.90 for the half-mile before Ministry overtook and pulled away to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:10.44.

Gonzalez was impressed by the effort of Ministry and expressed his gratitude to the filly’s owner, Linda Robbins of Starfish Stable. Gonzalez won his first career race as a trainer in 2015, according to Daily Racing Form records.

Tommy Pompell was aboard Ministry, who was supplemented to the Rainbow Miss off a maiden special weight win over Arkansas-breds on March 5. The daughter of Ordained has now won two of four starts and has earned $124,800.