Mauralakana narrowly best in The Very One

Mauralakana narrowly best in The Very One

Wet turf course conditions at Gulfstream Park on Saturday resulted in the

switching of several undercard races to the main track, and the reduction of the

co-featured $100,000

The

Very One H. (G3) from 1 3/8 miles to 1 1/8 miles. That proved just enough

distance, however, for second choice MAURALAKANA (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) to rally

between rivals to score by a neck in a blanket finish over 10-1 longshot Tejida

(Rahy), who was just a head in front of Herboriste (GB) (Hernando [Fr]). The race to

complete the superfecta was also close, with 2-1 favorite J'ray (Distant View),

a head behind Herboriste, edging the pacesetting longshot Eclisse (Fr) (Ski Chief)

by a neck. Mauralakana paid $8.40, $5 and $4. The exacta returned $80.40,

the trifecta $412.40, and the $1 superfecta (5-9-11-4) was worth

$841.10.

Tejida yielded $11.60 and $8.20 for second, and Herboriste gave back $4.60

for show. Cliffrose (Ger) (Monsun), Hostess (Chester House), Archstone

(Arch), and Lady Tropicana (Cloud Hopping) completed the order of finish. Wine

and Dyne (Dynaformer) and Duchess Royale (Ire) (Danehill) were late scratches.

Rating in midpack behind a slow pace, Mauralakana made steady

advancement around the far turn under jockey Rene Douglas, angled off the rail

in the stretch to take aim at the leaders, and was up in time in a tight finish. Mauralakana covered the distance in 1:49 4/5 over a yielding turf. She

improved her record to 21-7-2-3 and her career earnings now stand at $562,592. Mauralakana's

win was the sixth for trainer Christophe Clement in The Very One.

Bred by SARL Classic Breeding & M. Hassan, Mauralakana was trained prior

to this year by Patrick Biancone, who conditioned the five-year-old to a second-place finish in the 2006 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland and

a victory in the 2007 Locust Grove H. (G3) at Churchill. Mauralakana also placed in Glens

Falls H. (G3) and Noble Damsel H. (G3) last year. Before joining the Biancone

barn, Mauralakana was a Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed in France.

Purchased by Robert Scarborough for $900,000 last November at the Keeneland Sale

of Breeding Stock, Mauralakana was eventually sent to Clement at his Payson

Park barn in Florida, and The Very One marked her first start for new

connections.

Jimkana (Double Bed [Fr]), the dam of Mauralakana, won just once in 41

starts in France, but has reared two stakes winners from as many foals to race.

Petit Calva (Desert King), a half-sister to Mauralakana, won two

listed events and placed in a French Group 3 event.