Miz Mayhem becomes stakes winner in Gulfstream's Cedar Key

Laurie Plesa’s Miz Mayhem became a stakes winner Friday at Gulfstream Park, scoring her third-straight dominating triumph with a 1 ¼-length decision in the $75,000 Cedar Key, a five-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

The homebred daughter of Yesbyjimminy, who was sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of five, ran five furlongs over a firm turf course in 55.12 seconds under Edgard Zayas.

Following up on a pair of optional claiming allowance triumphs by 7 ¾ and 4 lengths, Miz Mayhem broke alertly from the starting gate to press pacesetter Roses in the South along the backstretch and around the far turn before asserting herself at the top of the stretch. Despite being involved in sharp fractions of 21.13 and 42.97 seconds for the first half mile, the Florida-bred filly had plenty of energy in reserve to draw off to a convincing victory.

“This filly has matured. She doesn’t need to be on the lead. I noticed in her last race she sat next to a horse and Edgard kind of rated her, just sat there and didn’t ask her to take the lead, and when he asked her she took off,” said Eddie Plesa Jr., who trains Miz Mayhem for his wife, Laurie. “It was the same thing today. She sat next to Roses in the South and when it was time to go, she went. I’m very pleased with how she’s doing.”

Zayas has been aboard for all of her recent three victories.

“She’s improving every race. She probably could have gotten the lead, but there was other speed in the race, so we just stalked the pace. She’s doing great,” Zayas said. “She’s not a speed-crazed filly. You can relax her.”

Although Miz Mayhem has proven deadly to her opposition at five furlongs, Plesa hasn’t ruled out stretching her out in the future.

“There might be a time we might want to stretch her out. It’s something we need to explore. She ran a [mile race] one time before she got good and she ran a pretty good race,” said Plesa, whose trainee finished third in a mile optional claiming allowance in January. “The way she’s progress from that race ‘til now, if I had no other options, I’d go ahead and do it. Needless to say five furlongs would be great for now.”

Auldwood Lane closed from last under Nik Juarez to finish second, a half-length in front of Really Proud and Tyler Gaffalione.

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot for Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park will be $653,360.57.

Multiple tickets with all six winners Friday returned $250.02.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Gulfstream’s 12-race program begins at 12:40. The Rainbow 6 sequence begins with the seventh race and will include the $75,000 Miesque’s Approval and $75,000 Powder Break, both contested over the turf.