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Black Mamba strikes in Mabee Double Down Stables' BLACK MAMBA (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe) was trapped on the rail rounding the turn of Sunday's $400,000 John C. Mabee H. (G1), but managed to squeeze out under jockey Garrett Gomez to get up and take the win by a half-length over a fast-closing I Can See (Flying Chevron). Sent off the 4-5 favorite, the John Sadler-trained five-year-old was worth $3.80, $3 and $2.40. Passified (GB) (Compton Place) led the field around Del Mar's firm turf, setting splits of :24 2/5, :48 2/5 and 1:11 3/5 while closely tracked by Solva (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) and Placid Lake (Greenwood Lake). In the meantime, Black Mamba and Gomez were saving ground while racing along in midpack. Placid Lake started going backward while Black Mamba began picking off rivals while still on the inside, but as Passified swung around the turn, Black Mamba found herself trapped behind that rival with Solva to her outside. Solva couldn't keep pace in the lane, though, and Black Mamba finally found some room and swung around the longtime leader. The bay mare got to the line to stop the clock in 1:47 as I Can See came charging to her outside. I Can See put in a very nice run from the back down the center of the track to just miss, returning $10.60 and $5.80 while ending the $31.70 exacta ($1) as the 24-1 longest shot in the field. Passified held third by 1 1/4 lengths over Foxysox (GB) (Foxhound), paying $3.20 at nearly 4-1 while finishing out the $143.10 trifecta ($1). The 1-8-6-5 superfecta ($1) was worth $437.90 with Foxysox at 5-1, and Solva, Green Lyons (Ire) (Green Desert), Ransom Captive (Red Ransom) and Placid Lake rounded out the order under the wire. Black Mamba has now earned $599,171 to go along with her 20-4-6-2 lifetime mark. She earned her first graded victory prior to this race, taking the Beverly Hills H. (G2), and has compiled a nice list of graded placings for Sadler. Among those are the the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), Palomar H. (G2), Las Palmas H. (G2), Dahlia H. (G2), Buena Vista H. (G2) and, before the Beverly Hills, a nose second in 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). She 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). Sadler mentioned that Black Mamba could have another shot at the September 27 Yellow Ribbon during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet. She would need to be supplemented at a fee of $300,000 to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) on October 24.
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