RECORD-SETTING CROWD HERALDS SUAVENESS
WIN IN GASPARILLA
OLDSMAR, Fla. (January 20, 2007) Nine fillies ran the seven furlongs of the 23rd renewal of the Gasparilla Stakes today, with Suaveness emerging as the victor. Suaveness ran the distance in 1:24.0, finishing in a dramatic burst of speed and paying $141.40 for a $2 win bet. Suaveness broke out of the starting gate alertly, and settled near the back of the pack, allowing leaders Pretoria Light, Cher Ami, Foret and Pay the Man to battle for the early lead. As the horses rounded the turn and entered into the stretch, Suaveness, in a surprise move, went extremely wide around the turn and accelerated rapidly, passing Foret and Pretoria Light as they dueled down the stretch.
Suaveness’ jockey Charles Forrest explained the rationale behind the wide turn: “If you look at the form, she wins her best races when she’s (running) wide. She sees daylight and just runs.”
He elaborates, “Her form told me to let her run wide, and I knew I had a lot of horse. I get on this horse everyday; every horse I ride, I ride with confidence, so, yes, I was confident coming in,”
Roberto Arango, owner and trainer Suaveness, explains that he was surprised but delighted by his filly’s win in The Gasparilla. “After the race at Finger Lakes, we shipped her down here. We had to take the training easy, because the trip was exhausting for her. So, really, no I wasn’t too confident coming in. It was a tough race, and she was coming off of a layoff and a tough trip. But we are talking about an excellent filly. She’s very good, and we have a lot of hope for her future.”
Arango says that the $75,000 Suncoast Stakes on February 17th is the next stop for Suaveness, adding that he thinks the filly will benefit from the distance of about a mile. He also wanted to express his gratitude for the team surrounding Suaveness, including jockey Charles Forrest and his assistant trainer.
A season high crowd of 7,363 fans showed up to cheer the fillies home today. They were also treated to a cap giveaway and autographs from jockeys. “The day was a great success with The Chamber of Commerce, the weather, the cap giveaway and a strong racing program that the fans supported,” said Tampa Bay Downs Vice President and General Manager Peter Berube.
Live racing and poker action continue tomorrow, with the Tampa Bay Downs gate opening at 11:00 AM. There will be a classic car show in the picnic pavilion area from noon to three. The first race on the eleven race card is at approximately 12:25 PM, and The Silks Card room will stay open from noon through midnight.