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
August 31, 2019

A lot seemed to be pointing in the direction of Grand Dragonville for the Mabee Stakes. She had been on a strong run on consistency, was getting a weight allowance over the older horses in the field. This would make her both our pick and the post time favorite. Despite things looking promising, she still had to show up. In the preview, I called her the most reliable horse in this field to support, and she stepped up to that billing here at DMR. After nine furlongs on the grass, she would get her second win in a row and the first in the race for her trainer, Smokey Stover. Jockey D Van Dyke also wins the race for the first time. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:46.24, a middle of the road winning time in the stake’s long history which includes when it had a bigger purse and drew bigger names. Not that Grand Dragonville can’t become a big name, because she certainly looks real good right now! Let’s take a look at her win!

(½ Mile- :48.38)- Conviction shoots out of the starting gate for Team 7 Illusions, clears the field, and is able to get all the way over to rail as the field moves onto the main course. Once there, she settles in, and it starts to look like our eventual winner, Smokey Stover’s Grand Dragonville, will take a run at her with the opening turn, but she backs off of that and lets Woman On A Mission, from Estero Farms, do that instead. At the top of the backstretch, Conviction and Woman On A Mission are side by side for the lead with two lengths to the third place Blondewithhandcuffs, from Mb Stables and Grand Dragonville on her outside. It’s a gap of two and a half more lengths to Keep The Treasure (Mb Stables) and Infrastructure (Our Athletes), and one more to By Far Ideal (Maxmillion Farm). Trailing is the huge longshot, The Richmond Slayer (Eastern Equine).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.62)- Running down the backstretch, the two frontrunners still run side by side, with Conviction looking just a little bit better. However, just as we begin to approach the turn, they are have some new company on the way. That would be Grand Dragonville, who had a patient stalking trip to this point, and now moved to the third lane, positioning herself to pass those two. Blondewithhandcuffs was keeping pace, but did not show the same ambition to make a push forward at this stage of the race. Further back, Infrastructure began to get a lot more interested and moved solidly into the fifth position. By Far Ideal crept a bit closer, though Keep The Treasure, like her stablemate, was not quite ready to make a move. The Richmond Slayer considered an outside move here.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- With every stride in the turn, Grand Dragonville was a little bit better then the former top two, Conviction and Woman On A Mission, and gradually made the pass for the lead. At the top of the stretch, she had a head in front. Blondewithhandcuffs started her advance about midway into the turn, and was also looking good, but would that length that Grand Dragonville put on her in making her move a little sooner come back to haunt her? Infrastructure was still fifth, and two and a half lengths back as Keep The Treasure and By Far Ideal caught back up to her. The Richmond Slayer did not have the legs underneath her to make that outside move stick.

(Finish- 1:46.24)- In the stretch, I was very impressed with the effort of Grand Dragonville. She powered her way to the front, and poured it on, running all the way to the wire in great looking form. So too, did Blondewithhandcuffs, but she could never get that length back from Grand Dragonville that she gave up at the top of the turn. These two get separation from the rest of the field by about two lengths. The third place battle is won by Conviction, who ran in a steady manner to the wire, holding off Infrastructure, Keep The Treasure, and By Far Ideal who are involved in a very tight fourth place photo. Woman On A Mission was nearby to that in seventh, and The Richmond Slayer slays no one at the back.

About The Winner- Grand Dragonville, trained by Smokey Stover, and ridden to victory by M Franco, is a three year old filly by Grandeur, and is out of Dragonville. She was bred in Florida as a second quarter two year old by Smokey Stover, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her sixth in 13 starts, her fourth stake win, and second graded win. Her career earnings are now $706.800.

Track: Firm
Time: :48¹  1:11³  1:34⁴  1:46¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 7 – 3 Paid 15.10
$1 Trifecta: 7 – 3 – 8 Paid 41.00

Scratched: None

Winner picked by NS

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES