9 Abr. USA. Vinery Madison S. G2. Keeneland. 7f. Dirt. 200.000 $
1.- VENTURA (G.Gomez)
2.- STREET SOUNDS (J.Lezcano)
3.- DAWN AFTER DAWN (R.Albarado)


Ventura closed with a rush from the far outside and powered past runner-up Street Sounds to win the $200,000 Vinery Madison Stakes (G2) in her graded stakes debut on Wednesday at Keeneland Race Course.

The Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Chester House filly was rated in tenth by jockey Garrett Gomez through a half-mile in :45.97, rallied into contention from seven wide on the turn, and finished gamely to prevail by one length.

“I was actually stuck in behind some horses and I couldn’t get a free run anywhere,” Gomez said. “Finally, at the quarter pole, I shoved her through a really tight hole. She responded really well, and she made her way through there. When we turned for home, she gave us a good turn of foot and did what she was supposed to do.”

Ventura began her career in England, where she posted three wins and three runner-up finishes in eight starts for trainer Amanda Perrett.

Transferred to Bobby Frankel following her 2007 campaign, Ventura surged clear to a two-length win in her North American debut in an allowance race on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita Park.

Ventura, whose final start in England was a 2 1/2-length victory on the all-weather surface at Kempton Park, demonstrated an explosive finishing kick in the Vinery Madison to seize command in the final sixteenth on Keeneland’s all-weather Polytrack surface. She completed seven furlongs in 1:22.06 as the 4-to-1 second choice in the 11-horse field.

Grade 2 winner Street Sounds was two lengths clear of third-place finisher Dawn After Dawn, a Grade 2 winner who entered off a runner-up finish in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) on March 9 at Santa Anita. Dawn After Dawn nipped Wild Gams by a neck.

Ventura improved to five wins in ten career starts and boosted her earnings to $224,838.

Kentucky-bred Ventura is out of multiple stakes-placed winner Estala (GB), by Be My Guest.