Double Down Stables’ BLACK MAMBA (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe), who had finished
second or third in her six graded stakes attempts since arriving in the United
States
last summer, broke her bad luck streak with a 1 1/4-length win in the $150,000
Beverly Hills H. (G2) at Hollywood Park on Sunday. Trained by John Sadler, who
saddled a quartet of stakes winners over the weekend, the bay mare tracked off
the moderate pace early under Garrett Gomez before putting her best foot forward
approaching the final turn, driving home on the outside to complete the
10-furlong, firm-turf affair in 2:01 1/5. The 7-5 choice paid $4.80, $2.80 and
$2.40 while spearheading the $1 exotics: $24.10 exacta, $211.90 trifecta and
$1,987.10 superfecta (1-2-5-8).
Solva (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) saved ground for the entirety of the race while
close early, took a short lead in early stretch and fought on bravely while
having little chance with the streaking winner. The 12-1 runner-up was 1 1/2
lengths clear of third and paid $9.60 and $7.20. Green Lyons (Ire) (Green
Desert) had only one horse beaten after six panels but rallied with good energy
to earn a black-type placing a head clear of fourth. Show was worth $7 for the
10-1 shot. Pacesetter Forest Melody (Forest Camp) dictated splits of :24 2/5,
:48 3/5, 1:13 1/5 and 1:37 1/5 for the opening mile before fading to fourth in
the final jumps. She capped the superfecta at 13-1, a head clear of Marzelline
(Ire) (Barathea [Ire]), who was trailed by Foxysox (GB) (Foxhound), I Can See
(Flying Chevron), Double Trouble (Brz) (Wild Event), Island Hop (Dynaformer) and
Gotta Have Her (Royal Academy).
Black Mamba upped her lifetime mark to 19-3-6-2, $359,171 with the win, which
added $90,000 to her bankroll. The five-year-old has compiled a nice list of
graded placings for Sadler, including the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), Palomar H.
(G2), Las Palmas H. (G2), Dahlia H. (G2), Buena Vista H. (G2) and, most
recently, the Santa Barbara H. (G2).
Bred in New Zealand by Keltern Stud, the winner is out of the Group 3 queen
and classic-placed Sneetch (Grosvenor) and hails from the same family as Australasian Oaks (Aus-G1)
heroine Tully Thunder (Thunder Gulch) and Oaks S. (Aus-G1) victress Sandy’s
Pleasure (Aus) (Dash O’ Pleasure).