Suffused Impressive in G3 The Very One Romp

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Juddmonte Farm Inc.’s Suffused won her second consecutive graded stakes when she drove to the lead around the final turn under jockey Jose Ortiz to win the Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One Handicap by five lengths Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Victorious January 28 in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante Handicap, Suffused covered the 1 3/16th course in 1:51.40.  A 5-year-old mare by Champs Elysees trained by Bill Mott, Suffused also won last year’s Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes and was second in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor.

While Olorda took the field past a brisk opening quarter in :22.82 and a half in :47.21, Ortiz rated Suffused off the pace before moving three-wide around the final turn to take the lead from Quiet Kitten and drive home a winner.  Quiet Kitten held the place, with Paige, Earring, Desiree Clary, and Olorda completed the order of finish.

Suffused, who began her career at Newmarket in 2014, has now won seven of 16 starts on the turf.

Suffused returned $3.80, $2.60, and $2.10.  Quiet Kitten brought back $11.20 and $6.20, while Paige paid $6.60 to show.

Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One Handicap Quotes

Trainer Bill Mott (Suffused): “From where we started last year at this point, she steadily improved throughout the course of the year to where she was doing good.  I was curious about the distance today because it was a huge cutback from a mile and a half.  My rationale is that I wanted to see how she would do at this trip because it gives us some options up the road.  I like to think she is good enough for a race like the Beverly D or the Diana, one of those two.  We’ll just have to see.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz (Suffused):  “She broke well.  I was expecting for her to be up closer.  She relaxed well where she was back there.  At the three-eighths pole, I found some room to go, and once I put her in the clear, she exploded.”

Source: Gulfstream Park