Sweet Melania takes the Suwannee River; Pegasus next?

Robert and Lawana Low’s multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania, without a victory in 18 months, swept past favored pacesetter Shift She in mid-stretch and pulled away to end her drought with a half-length triumph in Saturday’s $100,000 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 73rd running of the one-mile Suwannee River for fillies and mares ages 3 and up on the grass was the first of five stakes, four graded, worth $650,000 in purses. It serves as a prep for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) Jan. 29.

Other Pegasus Day prep races on the program were the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) and $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G3), for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), respectively.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf would be under consideration for Sweet Melania ($15.60), a 4-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah that won the 2019 Jessamine (G2) and, most recently, the Wonder Again (G3) in June 2020.

Shifty She, exiting a front-running triumph in the Oct. 23 Noble Damsel (G3) at Belmont Park, broke sharply and went straight to the lead, opening a wide advantage as Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez settled Sweet Melania in second. Sweet Melania began to make up ground around the far turn and moved up to even terms once straightened for home before edging clear.

Shifty She held second over In a Hurry, with Irish-bred Keeper of Time third. The winning time was 1:34.19 over a firm turf course.

It was the first Suwannee River win for Velazquez and his 161st career stakes victory at Gulfstream Park, 11 behind fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey’s track record. Pletcher won the Suwannee River previously with Sandiva (2015), Channel Lady (2013) and Pico Teneriffe (2000).