Gervinho showcased a terrific rally in the final furlong of the $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita on Monday, getting up to win the one-mile race by a half-length after trailing by three at the eighth pole.
Ridden to victory by Garrett Gomez, Gervinho saved ground throughout while racing last of the six runners, about four lengths behind early leader Dancin Upside Down. I'm Wide Awake and Den's Legacy were tracking the pace in second and third, followed then by Visualization and Buckleberry Grey.
Through fairly quick fractions of :23.11, :46.62, and 1:10.81 seconds, Dancin Upside Down continued to lead the way, and the colt entered the homestretch still gamely clinging to the lead. Den's Legacy was the first to make a run at him, rallying along the fence to secure the lead inside the eighth pole. In the meantime, Gervinho had slipped a bit around the final turn, losing a couple of lengths in the process. However, he was able to recover, and after shifting to the far outside, he turned in a brilliant rally to get up for an impressive victory in 1:34.59 seconds.
Den's Legacy finished second, 2 1/4 lengths clear of Dancin Upside Down. I'm Wide Awake, Visualization, and Buckleberry Grey completed the order of finish.
The winner is a son of Unusual Heat out of Foreverinthegame, by Out of Place. Trained by Carla Gaines and owned by Keith Brackpool, Gervinho is now undefeated in two starts with earnings of $102,000. He had previously won a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight on the Del Mar Polytrack with an excellent late run.
-Keelerman
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