Gulfstream Today 12.26.24: Davis Rides La Mehana to Via Borghese Victory

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

Late Pick 5 Carryover $217,084; Tropical Turf Pick 3 Returns Friday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Dylan Davis, who moves to Gulfstream Park next week to ride the remainder of the Championship Meet, got a feel for things Thursday when winning the $140,000 Via Borghese aboard Waya (G3) winner La Mehana.

“I’m happy to get my first winner here, especially in a stakes race,” said Davis, who will head south after riding the weekend in New York.

La Mehana, owned by LSU Stables and trained by Christophe Clement, came into the Via Borghese off a seventh-place finish Nov. 10 in the Long Island (G3) after winning the Waya. A 5-year-old French-bred mare by Al Wukair, La Mehana was rated just behind Marksman Queen down the backstretch behind fractions of :50.70 and 1:16.11. La Mehana took the lead from the pacesetter entering the stretch and had enough to hold off Forever After All by a neck. The mare covered the 1 3/8th mile firm course in 2:14.42.

“They were slowing it down for me and I was able to get a little more position early, which is what I wanted,” Davis said. “She gave me a nice run to the wire and fought off [Forever After All] again.”

La Mehana has won seven of 18 starts and is three for six at the distance.

Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) Winner Didia Retired

Merriebelle Stable and Resolute Racing’s Grade 1-winning turf mare Didia, who was being pointed to a title defense in the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) next month, has been retired.

Trainer Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Correas IV said Thursday that the 6-year-old mare will embark on a new career as a broodmare in 2025.

“Didia is retired. She’s going to be mama,” he said. “She was a very nice horse and she’ll make a great mama.”

After months of trying to acquire her, Resolute’s John Stewart bought into Didia following her popular come-from-behind neck victory over long shot Surprisingly in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 27. It was the third graded triumph for Didia following the 2023 Rodeo Drive (G2) and Modesty (G3).

The Pegasus would be the richest race won by Didia, who two starts later would become a Grade 1 winner in the June 7 New York at Saratoga. She ran three more times this year, capped by a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Didia had three timed works at Keeneland following the Breeders’ Cup, most recently going four furlongs in 50.40 seconds over the all-weather training track. She retires with a record of 11-2-2 and $1,758,484 in purse earnings from 20 starts, the first seven coming in her native Argentina, where she was a two-time Group 1 winner.

“Every time a good horse leaves your barn, you’re very thankful for everything they have given you. The fact is, they’re not easy to replace,” Correas said. “But we have some new faces. She’s going to be missed, of course, but hopefully someone can take her place.”

One possibility is Resolute’s Tutta La Vita, a three-time Group 1-placed mare in her native Australia that is entered to make her North American debut in Saturday’s opener at Gulfstream, an optional claiming allowance for filles and mares 3 and up scheduled for one mile on the turf.

“It’s very exciting. She’s training very well. It’s her first time in America and we hope she runs a good race,” Correas said. “She’s done well since she’s been here; if not, we would have waited longer. We’re looking forward to her running.”

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Estimated Pool $200,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $200,000 when racing resumes Friday.

The sequence begins with Race 5 and includes two turf races and a maiden special weight event for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16-miles on the main track. The maiden special event, which goes as Race 7, includes Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC’s Keepthedreamalive, a daughter of Into Mischief trained by Bill Mott, and Woodland Way’s Indeed, a daughter of Improbable trained by Todd Pletcher.

The Rainbow 6 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.

Late Pick 5 Carryover $217,084, Tropical Turf Pick 3 Returns Friday

There will be a late Pick 5 carryover Friday of $217,084.36.

The first of the weekend’s Tropical Turf Pick 3 wagers begins Friday with Race 1, a $25,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds going 7 ½ furlongs. Leading trainer Joseph saddles two in Salto Angel, seventh in his debut on Tapeta, and first-time starter Chill the J. Change At Jamaica gets blinkers and drops in company off a ninth-place finish in his debut for trainer Mark Casse.

The second leg of the Tropical Turf Pick 3 is Race 6, a $35,000 claiming event for fillies and mares. Miss Taptress broke her maiden on the turf and was third over the green last time out at this level. Sassy Allie has a win and two seconds in four turf starts for trainer Robert Falcone Jr. The Pick 3 concludes with Race 9, a starter allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Sarah’s Dream, trained by Jose D’Angelo, is on a four-race winning streak, with one of those being over the turf. Silver Moonlight, trained by Joseph, is seeking her third consecutive victory over the green

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