Great Venezuela ups her win streak to four in a starter optional claimer Nov. 22 at Gulfstream Park (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Orlyana Farm’s 4-year-old homebred filly Great Venezuela puts a four-race win streak on the line as she goes after her first career stakes victory against seven rivals including Grade 2 winner Maryquitecontrary, entered to make her first start on grass, in the Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf.
Great Venezuela drew outermost Post 8 in her first stakes attempt since finishing third after setting the pace, beaten a length, in the 2023 Wait a While going 7 ½ furlongs on the Gulfstream turf. The daughter of Neolithic was a perfect 4-0 in 2024 including a 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance on the grass Oct. 19, and is 6-for-8 lifetime with five wins on the all-weather Tapeta.
Maryquitecontrary, a 6-year-old Rodney Lundock homebred mare, is a five-time stakes winner over Gulfstream’s main track including the 2023 Inside Information (G2) that has made her last two starts in overnight handicaps on the Tapeta, dead-heating for second in the Awesome Banner and finishing seventh in the Key West. She ran second or third five times in eight starts last year without a win.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is represented by the pair of Love Mami Love and Beach Ready. Co-owned by Ten Twenty Racing and Joseph, Love Mami Love has registered back-to-back half-length victories going one mile on the turf at Gulfstream, the most recent coming Dec. 15.
“She’s a filly that needs to really be covered up,” Joseph said. “She needs to be covered up the whole way. When she does find daylight she doesn’t find much, so she needs to get the right trip and both of her last two races she got really good trips from the riders. Hopefully she can work out a similar trip this time.”
Tyler Gaffalione gets the return call from the rail on Love Mami Love, who went winless with five seconds and a third in 2023 before going 4-for-7 with two thirds last year.
“She’s always picked up checks but found it hard to find the winner’s circle, and recently she’s gotten better at that,” Joseph said. “Her numbers are improving so that’s why we’re giving her a chance. She looks like she should be competitive in this spot again.”
Bart Voloshin’s Beach Ready is a six-time winner from 20 starts, three of those coming since being claimed by Joseph for $16,000 in September 2023. The 5-year-old Treasure Beach mare has earned five of her victories on the Tapeta.
“We’re just giving her a try,” Joseph said. “A mile is probably better for her. The race didn’t look like it was coming up overly tough and we figured she deserved the chance to see if she can get it done.”
Ashima, a winner of two straight, Princess Bettina, Parallel and My Sunny Valentine are also entered.
