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Owner and trainer Elizabeth Merryman now knows that she has to aim even higher when she decides on the next start for her talented turf sprinting filly Caravel.

The 4-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast turned in another dazzling – and winning – effort, drawing away with ease to score a 4¼-length victory in Friday night's $75,000 Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park.

How good was Caravel in winning for the sixth time in eight career starts? When she flashed across the finish line in a slightly eased-up :54.97 for the five furlongs on the grass she missed the 10-year-old track record by just four-tenths of a second.

“I thought it was brilliant,” Merryman said of the performance by the filly she also bred. “She pulled away like it was nothing. It would be really nice to try graded stakes company with her next. So maybe the (Grade 3) Caress at Saratoga (on July 24). We'll see. With these turf races the weather is everything. She is just a dream. She continues to amaze me every time she races.”

Ridden by Pablo Morales, Caravel broke a tad slow but was able to sit comfortably in fourth early on behind dueling leaders Gotta Go Mo and Victory Kingdom, who ripped off the opening quarter in :20.56. Morales moved Caravel off the rail and outside entering the final turn, with the opening half going in :43.44. He then set her down after Miss Auramet, who was poised to take the lead in mid-stretch over the tiring frontrunners.

But Caravel ran right by Miss Auramet, who was coming off a May 30 victory in the Politely Stakes at Monmouth Park.

“She broke well. I just didn't send her,” said Morales. “I was going to be wherever I was going to be with her because I know she is usually forwardly placed on her own.

“After they sent so hard out of there, showing a ton of speed, I just figured I'd wait a little and get around them and get in the clear because I know how well she finishes. She has a great closing kick.”

Caravel returned $5.80 to win in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. Miss Auramet held for second, a half-length ahead No Mercy Percy.

Bred in Pennsylvania, Caravel's only two lifetime defeats were third-place finishes on a good and a yielding turf course. She won the Very One Stakes at Pimlico on May 14 in her last start, overcoming traffic issues to do so.

Owner, Breeder and Trainer of Caravel, Elizabeth Merryman gives the thumbs up after winning the Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, NJ on Friday June 25, 2021. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

The post Caravel Dazzles In Friday’s Goldwood; Graded Stakes On The Horizon appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Elizabeth Merryman isn't convinced she has seen the best from Caravel, a 4-year-old filly she bred, owns and trains.

But she's hoping Friday's inaugural $75,000 Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park is another step toward finding out where the ceiling is for a turf specialist she feels will be the best horse she has ever had.

“This race will tell me a lot,” said Merryman. “A month from now there are four filly and mare turf sprints within a five-day period. There's one at Colonial (the Andy Guest on July 26), one at Saratoga (the Grade 3 Caress on July 24), one at Woodbine (the Grade 2 Royal North on Aug. 1) and one at Pimlico. This will give me an indication (of where to go next).

“There's a really good filly in this race (Miss Auramet) who has done nothing wrong that she has not run against yet. So we'll see.”

The Goldwood, set for five furlongs on the grass, has attracted a field of eight and headlines a six-race twilight card. Miss Aurament, trained by Kathleen O'Connell, comes off an impressive win in the slop in the Politely Stakes on May 30 at Monmouth Park. That race was originally scheduled for the turf.

Caravel's credentials, though, stack up with any of the fillies or mares in the race. She is 5-for-7 lifetime with two thirds, with her only defeats coming on a yielding turf and a good turf.

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Mizzen Mast-ZeeZee ZoomZoom by Congrats was set to go in Tuesday's Power By Far Stakes at Parx until the race was taken off the turf.

“Her training hasn't been smooth to this race since we were supposed to go Tuesday,” said Merryman, whose 14-horse stable is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. “We'll see how she handles the adversity, with everything not being quite right.”

Merryman was convinced there was something special about Caravel from the outset and chose not to rush her as a 2-year-old, allowing her to go through a series of growth spurts before hitting the racetrack.

Her anticipated debut hardly went as planned, however. She broke 10th and last in a five-furlong Maiden Special Weight turf dash at Penn National on June 20 last year. And then something remarkable happened. She rallied from last for most of the race to win going away by 1¼ lengths.

“Not only did she break last, she was steadily dropping back,” said Merryman. “I was watching the race thinking `My gosh, I really like this filly. How can she be this bad? How can I be so wrong?' And then it just clicked for her. It was amazing to see.

“The thing is, she has always been good from the gate. I think she was just caught off guard.”

Caravel went on to win four of her five starts at 3 and is coming off a victory in the The Very One Stakes at Pimlico on May 14 in her second start at 4.

“She has come back a little bigger and stronger,” said Merryman, who has been training since 2004. “She carries a bit more weight now and looks a little more robust.”

A winner of $212,872 from her seven career starts, Caravel drew post position 1 for the Goldwood Stakes.

“The post is not a big deal with her. She kind of dictates what she wants to do,” said Merryman. “You don't have to send her and you don't have to take her back. You just have to sit as chilly as possible and let her tell you where she wants to be.”

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