Madame Cactus rallies to win Raven Run
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
This year’s
edition of the G2 Raven Run Stakes
drew an oversubscribed field of 16. With only 14 allowed to run, Fully Living
and Madame Cactus were left on the outside looking in. But fate was with both
fillies today as both drew into the field when Plenty O’Toole and Lighthouse
Bay scratched from the race this morning.
Bourbonette
Oaks heroine Silsita was sent to
post as the 3-1 favorite in the full field of 14 three-year old fillies. At the
break, Turn by Turn won the battle for the lead, sprinting through the opening
quarter in 22:17 and the half in 44:67. While she lead the field through quick
fractions, post time favorite Silsita and Madame Cactus settled in the 9th and 10th positions
respectively.
When the
serious running began to get under way in the far turn, Silsita came up empty
but Madame Cactus was ready to run a huge race. As the field straightened for
home, she had worked her way up into a wide sixth from her initial spot in
tenth. Meanwhile Eden Prairie had come away with the lead as Turn by Turn began
to back pedal. She looked clear on the lead, but Madame Cactus and My Option were furiously closing down
the center of the track. All three fillies were looking for the win, but it was
Madame Cactus who got her nose on the wire first. Eden Prairie just held off My
Option to save the place in what was a three-way photo to sort out the top 3
finishers.
Madame
Cactus completed the 7 furlong event in a quick 1.21:71. For a $2 wager, she
returned $25.40/$12.60/$8.60 as an 11-1 shot. Eden Prairie returned
$10.00/$7.60 at odds of 10-1, and My Option returned $3.80 at odds of 4-1. Ciao Bella Luna, Irish Lute, Fully
Living, Primed for Passion, Elusive Fate, Silsita, Sittin At the Bar, Jewel of
a Cat, Turn by Turn, Finding More, and Thetaloveandmine completed the order of
finish.
Trained by
Peter Eurton and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Marc C. Ferrell, Southern California
based Madame Cactus was making just her second start of the season. Last out
she finished just ¾ of a length behind winner Gypsy Robin in the C.E.R.F
Stakes. Gypsy Robin then turned that win into a second place finish in the G2
TCA Stakes in her most recent start. The winner’s share of today’s purse pushed
Madame Cactus’ career earnings up to $325,000 and improved her lifetime record
to 6:3-2-0 with her only off the board finish coming in last year’s G3 Delta
Downs Princess Stakes.
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