Ogden Phipps Handicap 2011- Awesome Maria extends her unbeaten run, Todd Pletcher gets 3 wins
Awesome Maria has been living up to her name by being awesome in every race she runs. She has been the star filly of 2011, as she leaves her mark in every stakes she enters.
Races such as Sabin and Rampart, both Grade Three races have Awesome Maria, as the winner this year, and, the recent Grade 2 win in Shuvee Handicap on 21 May.
Momentum was quite nicely built coming into the Grade One Odgen Phipps Handicap, with a purse of $250,000. This year in the Ogden Phipps Handicap, Awesome Maria, was expected to meet her Life at Ten and Unrivaled Belle, making the competition all the more exciting, as she looks for her fourth straight stakes win.
Todd Pletcher’s Awesome Maria narrowly won the Shuvee by a head while grinding it out with Absinthe Minded, who was also trying to make it to Ogden Phipps Handicap, on 18 June at Belmont Park.
The race day arrived and Awesome Maria did not disappoint despite the contenders being hungry to get one back at Awesome Maria after she made them bite the dust in previous encounters.
She swept the Grade One Ogden Phipps by three lengths when she coasted by her opponents. John Velazquez her jockey was another plus and the pair breezed past the finish line. Still unbeaten she extends her winning streak to four now.
The 0.65 to 1 favourite made an impressive run and captured the distance of 1 1/16 miles in 1 minute and 41.40 seconds. Stable mate, Life at Ten, was easily overcome by Awesome Maria and once that was done the race became relatively easy, as they cruised towards victory.
Todd Pletcher entered three horses and all three of them captured the first three positions in the Ogden Phipps Handicap. Super Espresso finished third and Life at Ten second, and, the leader to finish first was Awesome Maria.
The first half a mile in the race was all about pace, Absinthe Minded set the pace in the beginning and completed a fast half a mile in 45.70 seconds. He was pursued by Awesome Maria in second with stable mate Life at Ten just trailing behind. All three were making some serious strides towards the finishing line.
Awesome Maria and Life at Ten were at even terms when they entered the final stretch but Awesome Maria showed what she is all about and easily went past Life at Ten. At that time Absinthe Minded faded away and Awesome Maria made a run for the finish.
According to jockey John Velazquez, she did not break well from the gates but eventually when she got her bearings down it became easier to guide her from the outside to meet stable mate Life at Ten.
Awesome Maria has impressed everyone with her impressive start to the year 2011, with an unbeaten run and still looking good.
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