The Heavenly Prize ($150.000 Purse)
AQU- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
February 10, 2024
The Heavenly Prize at AQU had a small field, and the bettors had their mind made up on who they liked the most, as Groovy was sent off as the overwhelming favorite for the race, at odds of 3/5. It does not always work out that these horses pick up the win, but Groovy delivered. This four-year-old Centerpiece filly is trained by Calia Stable, and it is the first win in the Heavenly Prize for the trainer. Jockey K Carmouche is now a two-time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:35.70, which is not one of the quickest times for this race, but all the was needed. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/4 Mile- :23.19)- The early lead of the race belongs to Smokey Stover’s Hallucination, and she will pull out to about a full-length lead over the eventual winner from Calia Stable, Groovy. Right behind them in the stalking position, we have both TwinTowersRacing’s Majestic Chai and the D J C Racing Stables- owned Fort Apache. So, suffice to say, pretty much everyone is in close proximity. Except for Safe Trippi (Night Rider Stables) anyway, who’s about two lengths behind them.
(½ Mile- :46.90)- Towards the end of the backstretch, Groovy is a little faster than Hallucination and makes the length disadvantage that one had on her. Groovy will enter the turn now with a head in front but Hallucination is not going anywhere. Majestic Chai is a half-length ahead of Fort Apache as they sit right behind the leaders while the gap to Safe Trippi only gets larger.
(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Over the second half of the turn, Groovy is clearly quicker than Hallucination and is able to pull out a full length ahead of her. Meanwhile, Majestic Chai was looking interesting as she made a three wide move with intentions of getting to the leaders. Fort Apache was simply running evenly with them while Safe Trippi still had not gotten involved.
(Finish- 1:35.70)- In the stretch, Groovy seems to have it in the bag, pulling out to almost a full two length advantage. Majestic Chai has caught Hallucination, but that’s about it. For Groovy, it’s a good thing this was not any longer of a race, because she started showing some signs of tiring, and that was not happening with Hallucination. While her win was never in jeopardy, Hallucination getting back to within a half-length was a little surprising. Still, a win and is a win, and Groovy picks it up! Majestic Chai takes third and Fort Apache fourth. Safe Trippi was a non-factor at the back.
About The Winner- Groovy, trained by Calia Stable and ridden to victory by K Carmouche, is a four-year-old filly by Centerpiece and is out of Earth Wind And Fire. She was bred by Calia Stable as a third quarter two-year-old in New York, and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in 15 starts, and her second stake win. Her career earnings are now $413.000.
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | ||
| 2 | Groovy | Calia Stable | Carmouche K | 0.65 | 11/2 | 1:35.70 | |||
| 5 | Hallucination | Smokey Stover | Luzzi L J | 2.15 | 2nk | 1:35.82 | |||
| 3 | Majestic Chai | TwinTowersRacing | Lezcano J | 5.10 | 3nk | 1:35.89 | |||
| 1 | Fort Apache | D J C Racing Stables | Castillo I | 125.75 | 42 | 1:35.95 | |||
| 4 | Safe Trippi | Night Rider Stables | Cancel E | 9.90 | 5 | 1:36.39 |
Track: Fast
Time: :23 :464 1:11 1:353
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 2 – Groovy | 3.30 | 2.20 | 2.10 |
| 5 – Hallucination | 2.30 | 2.10 | |
| 3 – Majestic Chai | 2.10 |
$1 Exacta: 2 – 5 Paid 4.80
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 5 – 3 Paid 7.30
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
