When Romacaca turned for home after setting soft fractions
in Saturday’s co-feature at Gulfstream
Park, she kicked away
smartly and looked home free. With less than a sixteenth to go, however, the
field began to swarm-in causing a dramatic four horse photo finish. The
beneficiary was Quiet Harbor,
a 5-year-old daughter of Silver Deputy, who rallied best to win the co-feature
by a head.
Ridden by Eddie Castro, Quiet
Harbor
was coming off a win in the Violet (G3) at the Meadowlands in October. The
Marshua’s River was her fifth in a row and sixth overall. She is owned by
Stuart Janney III and is trained by Shug McGaughey.
Lady Shakespeare, with Julien Leparoux, rallied to
dead-heat with pacesetter Romacaca for second. Lomaki and Chris DeCarlo were
fourth across the wire. The time for the race was 1:41.02.
Shug
McGaughey (Quiet
Harbor)
– “Going into the race I thought it was about as tough a stakes for this
group end-to-end from one to thirteen that you’ll see. Part of that may be that
they cancelled the Mt Charmer at Calder (Dec. 6) which we were planning to run
in, so they all ended up in here. The races at Monmouth Park
fit well for her to run through her conditions last year while building up her
confidence, and then she won the Violet (Meadowlands). Eddie (Castro) has
ridden her well in all of her races and she had to come through a little
trouble today. It was a very good race off the layoff. The Suwannee River
(Feb. 6) is the next race for this group here. But off the lengthy layoff, it
might be a little too close. We’ll find something for her here a little later.”
Eddie
Castro (jockey, Quiet
Harbor,
1st) - “At the top of the stretch I waited and waited to come
through on the inside, and when it opened she had a nice kick. I saw the other
horses coming up on the outside but knew at the wire I was the winner. I’ve
ridden her five times now, and I’m a five-time winner on her.”
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