McPeek-trained Grand Ave Girl rolls in Wintergreen
Turfway Park stakes recap by Kevin Kerstein (Coady photo of Grand Ave Girl winning Wintergreen under Luan Machado)
FLORENCE, Ky. (Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023) – Dixiana Farms’ Grand Ave Girl took command of the early pace and never looked back to win Saturday’s $125,000 Wintergreen Stakes at Turfway Park.
Trained by Kenny McPeek, and ridden by jockey Luan Machado, Grand Ave Girl completed the one-mile distance in 1:37.12.
Grand Ave Girl and Machado broke on top of the field of 11 fillies and mares and cruised to an opening quarter-mile fraction of :24.11. Up the backside, Grand Ave Girl increased her early command on the field by 3 ½ lengths through a half-mile clocking of :47.75. Around the far turn, Grand Ave Girl felt her first challenge of the race from Kate’s Kingdom, who made a sweeping move under jockey Jack Gilligan. In late stretch, Grand Ave Girl spurted clear of her rival for a 1 ¾-length victory. Purrfect finished a neck back of Kate’s Kingdom to round out the Top 3.
Grand Ave Girl rewarded her backers with $2 mutuel payouts of $17.34, $8.58 and $6.14. Kate’s Kingdom paid $6.66 and $4.14 while Purrfect returned $5.34.
It was another 2 ¼ lengths back to fourth-place finisher Maybe Later followed in order by Charges Dropped, Opening Buzz, Bella Conchita, Tap Dancing Lady, Candy Raid, Burgoo Alley (IRE) and Guana Cay.
Grand Ave Girl is daughter of Runhappy out of the Holy Bull mare One More. She was bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock. The 5-year-old mare improved her lifetime record to 16-6-2-4 with purse earnings of $325,356.
Racing will resume Thursday-Saturday at Turfway Park with a first posts of 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). Saturday’s featured races are the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial and the $150,000 Cincinnati Trophy. Both races are Prep Season events on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, respectively.
