Cheyenne Stable LLC's Ozara (IRE) found room between horses at the top of the stretch before unleashing a powerful kick to score a popular victory in Saturday's $100,000 Wait a While for 2-year-old fillies on turf at Gulfstream Park.
The Wait a While, a 7½-furlong contest, co-headlined Saturday's 11-race program with he $100,000 Pulpit, a 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds.
Christophe Clement-trained Ozara was sent to post as the 4-5 favorite on the strength of a debut victory at Saratoga, a fourth-place finish in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine and a second-place finish in the Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct.
“From the very beginning we liked her a lot,” Clement's son and assistant trainer Miguel Clement said. “She won rather impressively at Saratoga. We were ambitious running her in the Natalma and perhaps unlucky not to get her black type. Nevertheless, she got small black type at Aqueduct the other day and she got the job done today.”
Ozara raced midpack behind a solid pace set by Great Venezuela, who set fractions of :23.09 and :46.82 seconds for the first half mile. After turning into the stretch, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent the daughter of Lope de Vega between horses and she responded with a good kick to run down the pacesetter and hold off late-charging Milliat by a neck.
“I had to bide my time. In the stretch my filly changed (leads) right away. She was ready,” said Ortiz, the defending Championship Meet titlist.
Ozara finished the distance on firm turf in 1:27.36 and returned $3.80.
“Fortunately, Mr. Irad Ortiz is pretty good, and the filly was class,” Clement said. “I think she had a lot left in the tank.”
Milliat, a debut winner in Ireland who was making her U.S. debut, trailed the field early before launching a stretch run to finish three-quarters of a length ahead of Great Venezuela in the field of 10.
Ozara, who has won half of her four career starts, was bred by Fleche D'Or Partnership from the Acclamation (GB) mare Cercle d'Or, a half-sister to 2015 European Horse of the Year Golden Horn. Agent Mike Ryan bought the bay filly for $416,346 at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, where she was offered in the prestigious Book 1 by Lofts Hall Stud.
The post ‘She Had A Lot Left In The Tank’: Irish-Bred Ozara Outclasses Rivals In Wait A While appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
