With Irad Ortiz Jr., Maggie Go achieved her first victory on United States tracks
- Turf Diario
- Feb 22
- 2 min read
The daughter of Winning Prize rehabilitated herself at Gulfstream Park, following a couple of performances in which she had not performed as expected
HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida (Special for Turf Diario).- The Argentine mare Maggie Go was able to achieve her first victory in the United States, chasing away some ghosts that had been generated after a couple of unexpectedly weak performances, following a debut here that had encouraged strong hopes.
The daughter of Winning Prize, one of the best fillies of 2024 in San Isidro and Palermo, prevailed this Saturday in the ninth race at Gulfstream Park, an allowance optional claiming with 80,000 dollars in prizes, run over 1700 meters on the turf course.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the bay trained by Chad Brown was unstoppable when she charged wide in the straight, blowing past the Irish favorite La Cantera (Persian King) to defeat her by 1 3/4 lengths in 1m40s83/100, following a start in which she had not been very sharp.
The key to finishing ahead for the mare bred in partnership by Horacio Espósito and Haras Porta Pía, who now defends the colors of the partnership formed by Michael Dubb, Andrew Rosen, John D. Stuart, and Michael J. Caruso, was her ability to relax, which allowed her to save energy for the moment of truth.
Maggie Go had debuted in the north with an excellent second place in the Eatontown Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park, but later failed to respond in either the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) at Saratoga or in a conditional race at Aqueduct, finishing sixth and fifth, respectively. Now, finally, she was able to do it.
"The mare cooperated a lot, because the starting position was not to our liking. I was able to travel in a good position, in contact with the leaders, but with her relaxed. When I asked her, she took a little while to pick up the pace, but in the straight she changed leads and responded to me. The leader had escaped, but she had an interesting acceleration and gave me a good move. That was the key, besides saving ground despite the outside starting number," Irad Ortiz Jr. told Caribe Palma regarding the Argentine's performance.
Winner of the Clásico Eliseo Ramírez (G2) at age 2, second in the Clásico Saturnino J. Unzué (G2) and in the Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile Fillies (G1), and third in the Gran Premio de Potrancas (G1), Maggie Go has straightened her path in the United States, and it is impossible not to hope that her best is yet to come there.
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