The Go For Wand Handicap (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
December 5, 2020
After Smokey Stover picked up Pink Authority in private sales for $135.000, the filly went on to win four out of her next five races, including a couple of PA-bred stakes. That streak would not continue as the trainer hoped to bring her career forward into the graded level. Now, she is getting hot again and after winning the Plum Pretty again, Pink Authority has started a streak that finally sees her pick up a graded win here in the Go For Wand Handicap. It is the first win in this race for Smokey Stover and jockey M Franco. Congratulations to them! The race was run in a time of 1:35.21, a middle of the road time for the stake. Let’s take a look!
(¼ Mile- :23.90)- Miss Flora shoots out of the starting gate for Nakamura Stables and is able to move over towards the inside quite quickly. Once there, she backs off the initial charge, and Gingers A Ten, out of Maxmillion Farm claims the lead just before they reach a quarter mile. On the outside, Decima Divo, from TwinTowersRacing, also starts well and claims second by a head at this point of the race. Girls Night (D J C Racing Stables) is fourth, sitting just off the lead, two lengths back, and On The Flop (Team 7 Illusions) is to her outside. Pink Authority, our eventual winner from Smokey Stover, runs in the lane between them, almost a length back from them. Spy On Hollywood (Estero Farms) trails, but is just four lengths from the front.
(½ Mile- :47.62)– Once in the lead, Gingers A Ten wants a lot more, and pulls away from the field in the back stretch. With no one choosing to pursue her, she opens up an advantage of three lengths prior to reaching the turn. Neither Miss Flora nor Decima Divo want anything to do with that, and hold their ground. It’s another length and a half to On The Flop, who has moved into the third lane, and seems to be in a great position to make her run while rounding the turn. Girls Night stayed on the rail while Pink Authority ran between them, with nowhere really to go at this point. Spy On Hollywood was still at the back, but had visions on taking the fourth lane in the turn.
(Top of stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Gingers A Ten leads the field all by herself while going around the turn, and continues to lead going into the stretch. Her lead was a little more then two lengths, but as it had been shrinking, she was beginning to look vulnerable. Pink Authority took over the second position, and was helped out a little by Girls Night needing to move down a bit to avoid running into the fading Miss Flora. That put Girls Night into a tough position on the track but allowed Pink Authority a quick window to move down in to the third lane in order to get by both Miss Flora and Decima Divo. On The Flop moved down a lane as well, but Pink Authority handled the turn exceptionally well and took over second with authority. On The Flop and Decima Divo were even for third for now, but one was clearly coming while the other was going. Girls Night, after having to check up, was now in a tough position. Spy On Hollywood lacked response.
(Finish- 1:35.21)- In the stretch, the question would be whether or not they would catch Gingers A Ten, as the leader became more resilient than it was looking like she might be. Only in the final furlong did she show big signs of fatigue, and that is when Pink Authority made the most progress. In the end, Pink Authority would have enough time to get the win, hanging on over On The Flop, who beat Gingers A Ten for show. Fourth is Girls Night, who did all she could after such fortunes in the turn. Decima Divo, Spy On Hollywood, and Miss Flora round it out.
About The Winner- Pink Authority, trained by Smokey Stover, and ridden to victory by M Franco, is a four year old filly by Good Authority, and is out of Pink Wrapped. She was bred as a first quarter two year old by Joshua Stables in the great breeding state of Pennsylvania, and acquired by Smokey Stover in an August 2019 private sale for $135.000. The win is her ninth in 23 starts, her fifth stake win, but first graded win. Her career earnings are now $507.280.
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | |||
|
Pink Authority | Smokey Stover | Franco M | 2.10 | 11/4 | 1:35.21 | — | |||
|
On The Flop | Team 7 Illusions | Lezcano J | 2.40 | 2nk | 1:35.29 | — | |||
|
Gingers A Ten | Maxmillion Farm | Jaramillo E | 8.35 | 31 | 1:35.35 | — | |||
|
Girls Night | D J C Racing Stables | Pennington F | 11.15 | 41/2 | 1:35.57 | — | |||
|
Decima Divo | TwinTowersRacing | Centeno D E | 12.50 | 51/4 | 1:35.71 | — | |||
|
Spy On Hollywood | Estero Farms | Bridgmohan S X | 5.20 | 64 | 1:35.79 | — | |||
|
Miss Flora | Nakamura Stables | Juarez N | 6.15 | 7 | 1:36.74 | — |
Track: Fast
Time: :234 :473 1:104 1:351
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 4 – Pink Authority | 6.20 | 3.10 | 2.50 |
| 6 – On The Flop | 3.30 | 2.50 | |
| 1 – Gingers A Ten | 3.70 |
$1 Exacta: 4 – 6 Paid 7.90
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 6 – 1 Paid 96.50
Scratched: Amaris(L)
Winner Picked by NS
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
