Starship Nterprise ($68.40) shocks all with Martha Washington victory
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Starship Nterprise's late surge to defeat 9-5 favorite Karakatsie by a head in Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Gulfstream Park not only came as a shock to most of the bettors, who sent the recent maiden breaker off as the longest price in the field at odds of 33-1 in her stakes debut, it stunned her trainer, Steve Dwoskin, as well.
“That was unbelievable,” said Dwoskin, who was not on hand for the race. “I have to admit I was very surprised she won. I never expected this. Putting her in was a last-minute decision. The race I had picked out for her didn’t fill, so I thought I’d enter her to see what (the field) looked like. There were a couple of maidens in there and it didn’t look that tough. So I decided to take a chance and see what she could do.”
Starship Nterprise, a 3-year-old daughter of Honor Code, needed nine starts to finally break her maiden in her previous outing, winning under a $50,000 claiming tag while facing older horses for the first time in her career. She was back against straight 3-year-olds in the Martha Washington.
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With Miguel Vasquez aboard for the first time, Starship Nterprise commenced her bid leaving the backstretch, split the leaders while continuing her rally a sixteenth out, and proved narrowly best. Karakatsie, second-best behind the now graded stakes winner Con Lima after the Honey Ryder here six weeks ago, prompted the pace throughout, joined for command upon settling into the stretch, but could not match strides with the winner at the end. Charges Dropped loomed a major threat along the rail through the stretch but lacked the necessary response.
Dwoskin co-owns Starship Nterprise along with his principal client Starship Stables. She completed 1 1/16 miles over the firm course in 1:36.74 and paid $68.40.
“What a gutsy ride by Miguel,” Dwoskin said. “This game is always so hard to figure. You never know what’s going to happen next. That’s why I love it so much.”