Godolphin LLC's Lake Avenue came through with a winning 2021 debut in Wednesday's stakes-quality featured race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., scoring her first victory since capturing the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct in December 2019.
Winless in four start last year, the 4-year-old daughter of Tapit closed from far off the pace under Junior Alvarado to catch 35-1 pacesetter Dance d'Oro in mid-stretch on her way to a 4 ½-length triumph in the seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares.
“She didn't break well at all and in these kinds of races you want to at least break good so you can move forward. But I just think she was much the best. Even with breaking a little slow like that, making my move a little bit wide, having the best horse just helps. She just kept going to the wire. She ran a pretty impressive race,” Alvarado said. “When we passed the half-mile pole, I was hoping that she wasn't just fooling me there because the way she was moving was like how I know she moved when she's on her game. She just proved it today. She kept going, kept moving along pretty good, and had a very strong, nice finish.”
Trained by Bill Mott, Lake Avenue ($8.20) was undefeated as a 2-year-old with Junior Alvarado aboard. She finished third behind future Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver in last year's Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) during her four-race 3-year-old campaign.
Dance d'Oro and jockey Emisael Jaramillo held second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Crumb Bun and jockey Luca Panici. Hopeful Growth, the 6-5 favorite who captured the Monmouth Oaks (G3) last year, finished fourth under Irad Ortiz Jr., in her first start since finishing third in the Oct. 3 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico.
Lake Avenue, a Godolphin homebred, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.46.
Thursday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $750,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $750,000 Thursday.
The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the six straight racing day Wednesday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $6,886.32.
The jackpot pool 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.
Thursday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10.
WHO'S HOT: Edgard Zayas notched his second straight four-win day Wednesday at Gulfstream Park. Fresh off a Sunday Grand Slam, the 27-year-old Zayas made four more visits to the winner's circle Wednesday following victories aboard Kantstaros ($13.80) in Race 1, Infatuating ($3.40) in Race 3, Codrington ($4.80) in Race 7 and R Adios Jersey ($3.40) in Race 8.
Zayas has ridden 54 winners during his breakthrough Championship Meet.
Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled his 29th and 30th winners of the Championship Meet, scoring with Infatuating ($3.40) in Race 3 and Nitro Time ($3.80) in Race 4. Antonio Sano also saddled a pair of winners, Leyenda ($26.80) in Race 6 Codrington ($4.80) in Race 7.
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