Marabea Captures Claiming Crown Tiara for Recent Owners

Claimed in September for $25,000, Marabea earned her second consecutive victory for her new connections and her first in a stakes in the $125,000 Claiming Crown Tiara on the Opening Day program of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet.

Marabea, ridden by Jose Lezcano, was a neck winner over Lobella, who finished a neck in front of the third-place finisher, Seeking Treasure, in the field of 14 fillies and mares.

Trained by Lacey Gaudet, Marabea was claimed by Farfellow Farms Ltd out of a turf race in early-September at Saratoga Race Course. In her first start following the claim, Marabea won a starter allowance race at Laurel Park Nov. 6. 

Gaudet said she experienced some anxious moments when it appeared Marabea, who raced well off of a dawdling pace that produced a half-mile time of :51.65 in the Crown Tiara, wasn’t going to be able to overcome the crowded quarters she found herself in on the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile turf race.

“I was nervous. She broke fine but then they kind of came over on her,” Gaudet commented. “I thought she was going to be in trouble, but you’ve got to be confident with a rider like Lezcano.  He put her in the spot where he knew she need to be and he figured out the right moment and got there in time. He did a great job.”

Gaudet, who was winning her first race ever at Gulfstream Park, said there is more to be discovered about Marabea, who was bred in Great Britain and began her career in Italy.

“I’m not sure what kind of filly she is,” she remarked. “She’s a very, very nice filly. She clearly ran a race back to what she did last time. She could be any kind of filly.”

Lezcano said he realized the pace was slow, but he was content to allow his mount to relax early because she was moving so comfortably.

“[Gaudet] told me she had a little bit of a light mouth so be careful with that,” Lezcano said. “I just let her break and be comfortable. I know the pace was slow. but on the backside I let her go little by little. When I asked her at the quarter pole she really accelerated very good.”     

Marabea, a 4-year-old daughter of Archipenko, returned $15.60. She completed the distance in 1:45.43 over a firm course.

Super Spender earns first stakes victory in the Claiming Crown Canterbury: Super Spender took advantage of a slim seam between two rivals in the stretch to post a neck victory over the favorite Partly Mocha in the $110,000 Claiming Crown Canterbury.     

Ridden patiently by Nik Juarez, Goodwood Racing V’s Super Spender was making his stakes debut in the Canterbury which was run at five furlongs on the grass. Partly Mocha was flying late, but couldn’t collar Super Spender who was registering his seventh victory from 20 career starts. It was a length back to Divine Warrior, the third-place finisher in the 12-horse field.

It was the second consecutive victory for the 4-year-old son of Super Saver, who won a starter allowance at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 6 by three lengths for trainer Jane Cibelli. 

The trainer said the key for Super Spender, who went off at 5-1, is that the distance of the Canterbury suited him so well.

“He’s kind of a funny horse because he runs like he’d like 5 ½ or 6 furlongs, but every time you stretch him out, he doesn’t run well,” Cibelli said. “So I think I’ll stop trying to reinvent the wheel and keep him at 5/8ths. That’s what he wants to do.

“He ran in a mile race and won, so I said, ‘OK, that’s where he wants to be,” she added. “He’s always been kind of a mystery horse. He always breezed well and trained well, but was always a disappointment when he ran.  He won at a mile, but that didn’t pan out. Five-eighths is it.”

Juarez said Cibelli was keen on the rider being patient with his mount.

“He responded so well coming out of his last race,” Juarez said. “We know he is a come-from-behind sprinter. Jane told me to let him do his thing and settle and make one run. Luckily, everything opened up in the lane. Jane told me to be patient until we turned for home and then to pop to that lead. I was waiting for the opportunity and he just shot right through there.” 

The final time was :56.54 seconds over a firm course. The winner returned $12.80 for a $2 win bet.

Source: Gulfstream Park