Fair Grounds: Gavea Rolls Late to Take Mardi Gras Stakes

By Joe Kristufek —-

Gavea; Hodges
Gavea Rolls Late to Take Mardi Gras Stakes

German-bred has found her niche sprinting on turf

New Orleans, La (March 4, 2025) – Out the back early in the 5 ½ furlong turf tilt, Bal Mar Equine’s Gavea (Ger) stormed home late to post an 11-1 upset in Saturday’s 82nd running of the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Accomplished Girl, a two-time stakes winner at the meet and 1.20-1 post time favorite, contested the early pace with the longshot Non Violence and outer foe Speedy Traveler through an opening half mile in 46.80 with the temporary rail out 14 feet. Off the turn for home, Gavea (Ger) and Big Trouble gained momentum in tandem, but the former cut the corner three-wide and got the jump on the latter, who was forced seven-wide off the bend. Both fillies closed with a rush, running past the embattled leaders in deep stretch with Gavea prevailing by ¾ of a length over Big Trouble in a final time of 1.05.31 for about 5 ½ furlongs over the firm going. It was another ¾’s of a length back to Accomplished Girl in third.
“She broke sharp but I took my time with her,” winning jockey Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. said. “The plan was to go to the outside, but I saw the hole on the inside and she was there for me when I asked.”
Imported from France following her career debut as a 2-year-old, Gavea (Ger) ran at distances of a mile or greater in six of her first seven starts in the U.S. and was grade three placed over nine furlongs as a 3-year-old for trainer Al Stall, Jr. Cut back to a turf sprint and dropped into a second-level allowance for her most recent start on February 6, the daughter of Gleneagles (Ire) closed from last to first to score, setting the stage for her Mardi Gras run.
“She’s out of a mile and a quarter stallion and a mile and a quarter mare, but every time she ran two turns we thought well, she’s just even,” Stall, Jr. said. “We decided to cut her back and see if she has more punch, and it worked.”
Tuesday’s win boosted Gavea’s career mark to 10-4-0-2 with earnings of $219,632.
“She’s legitimate,” Stall, Jr. added. “She got beat a length and a neck or so in the Lake George at Saratoga against some Chad Brown horses. She is graded stakes placed at Churchill going one mile and an eighth on soft ground. It’s not like she doesn’t have any class.”
Gavea (Ger) returned $25.40, $11.00 and $4.80. Big Trouble paid $6.40 and $3.60 while Accomplished Girl returned $2.60. Non Violence, Oeuvre, Speedy Traveler, Huntress for Hire and Cupids Crush completed the order of finish.
Live racing resumes Thursday at Fair Grounds with a first post of 12:45 p.m. CT.
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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.