Lady’s Island Goes Out a Winner in $100,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Multiple graded stakes winner Lady’s Island made her last start for Averill Racing LLC and Matties Racing a winning one Saturday at Gulfstream Park, notching her 18th career race in the $100,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint.

The Ladies’ Turf Sprint, scheduled for 5 furlongs on turf, was transferred to the sloppy main track due to afternoon rain, as was the co-featured $100,000 Suwannee River.

A winner on turf as well as dirt, Lady’s Island is entered in next week’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale.

“She’s been so good to me, so good to the barn, so good to the connections. She’s been so beautifully campaigned by the owners, and we’re going to miss her not only as a racehorse but as a horse. She’s such a pleasure to be around. It’s bittersweet,” trainer Georgina Baxter said. “I’m just so pleased that she went out on top, because she deserves it after all she’s done and achieved.”

The 7-year-old daughter of Greatness, the 6/5 favorite in a field of six, broke a step slowly but quickly recovered to take the lead inside Hear My Prayer and never looked back on her way to a victory by 3/4 of a length under Emisael Jaramillo.

“There’s always nervous moments. I’m nervous from this morning. When she got the lead and looked relaxed, I wasn’t really worried,” Baxter said. “She always pulls through. She never lets us down.”

Lady’s Island, who had made a successful title defense in the Sugar Swirl (G3) at Gulfstream in her previous start, ran 5 furlongs in 58.87 seconds.

Miss Auramet closed under Jose Ortiz to finish second, a 1/2-length ahead of Hear My Prayer.