Mabee Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
September 1, 2018

The field for the Grade 2 Mabee Stakes was small, but it did not lack a big name. Good Line, the reigning BC Fillies & Mares Turf champion headlined the field, and looked to be the horse to beat. There was one challenger in here who looked to be good enough to potentially knock her off, and that would be Free Sunset. It is not often that a race here seems to play along to how it was looking on paper, but this race would. Good Line showed that she was the best in the field. Free Sunset showed that she was a worthwhile challenger. Everyone else was just part of the show. Good Line earns her first stake victory here since winning the BC, but as mentioned in the preview, that’s not from a lack of good efforts since then. Mb Stables wins the race for the second time, and the first time that he wins it straight up, and not in a dead heat. Aboard the winner was P Lopez, a first time winning rider. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:45.62, the second quickest in the history of the race. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :46.42)- Free Sunset, running for Team 7 Illusions, is the quickest of the all out of the gate, and as they approach the opening turn, she pushes her advantage over the second place Harsh, from Mb Stables by about a length. Harsh does not challenge this lead, and is content to stalk. Running in the middle of the field is Z Fan, two and a half lengths back for Nakamura Stables, as the field begins to form a neat line around the opening turn. Good Line, our eventual winner from Mb Stables is another length back, and trailing is All Together Now, out of LionKing Stables. Only four and a half lengths separates first from last early on.

(3/4 Mile- 1:09.51)- Free Sunset continues to pace the field down the backstretch. She opens up a little more on the second place Harsh, now leading by two lengths as she continues to look strong. Harsh is not mounting a challenge to the leader. Another length back, as me approach the turn, we start to see a little action. Z Fan had been by herself in this position, but now had some company pulling up alongside her in the form of Good Line. The BC champion was beginning to position herself for a charge to the front here. There were three lengths to make up on the leader, and plenty of time to go get her. All Together Now did not respond with a run of her own here, and was now five and a half back.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- On the front end, things were getting a lot more intense. Free Sunset had been maintaining a steady stride, and seemed to be in good shape still. However, Good Line was coming. She had given the rest of the field the slip in the turn, and set her sights on taking over the lead. With a little more then a length to make up, it looked good for her, but Free Sunset would likely make it a battle. At this point, Harsh, Z Fan, and All Together Now were becoming observers to a good stretch fight that was shaping up.

(Finish- 1:45.62)- In the stretch, Good Line had to show the form that won her a BC race. Free Sunset absolutely refused to go away, and made Good Line dig in. In the final half furlong or so, Good Line looked just a little bit better, and goes on to win the race about a length. Free Sunset has nothing to be ashamed about in her second place effort. You have to go back four lengths to find Z Fan, who’s 3rd place effort is more of a “best of the rest” variety. All Together Now winds up fourth, with Harsh running last.

About The Winner: Good Line, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by P Lopez, is a four year old filly by Decima, and is out of Heckler. She was bred in California by Mb Stables as a first quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her seventh in 16 starts, her fifth stake win, and fourth graded win. Her career earnings are now $2,337.000.

Track: Firm
Time: :46²  1:09²  1:33²  1:45³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 5 Paid 14.20
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 5 – 3 Paid 31.50

Scratched: None

Winner and Exacta picked by NS

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES