Gaviola Makes Lake Placid Five in a Row

Gaviola made it five wins in a row with a clear-cut victory in Monday’s Lake Placid Handicap (gr. IIT) at Saratoga. The gray daughter of Cozzene came to the Lake Placid off a 4 1/2-length win in the Sands Point (gr. III) at Belmont in June and in between races scratched out of the July 31 Lake George Stakes (gr. IIIT) which was won by Lake Placid rival Millie’s Quest. Her win streak started Feb. 10 in a Gulfstream Park turf allowance.

Gaviola, the 4-5 favorite, was second out of the gate and from there, led at every call of the nine-furlong race. Under Jerry Bailey she went a quarter-mile :24.25 and a half in :48.35, followed by Storm Dream, who was making her second start in North America. Entering the turn the two leaders had opened daylight on the remainder of the field. At that point Windsong and Battenkill tried to reel in the leaders, but Gaviola continued to accelerate through the turn and had a 2 1/2-length lead after a mile in 1:35.02. Through the stretch Good Game made a solid run, as did a fast-approaching Millie’s Quest, but they couldn’t catch Gaviola, who finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of 20-1 Good Game in a final time of 1:48.04. Millie’s Quest was third, just a neck behind Good Game. The 7-1 third choice, Solvig, finished 10th in the field of 11.

The winner paid $10.60 and the 4-5 exacta paid $38.50. Billy Turner trains Gaviola for her breeder, Carlos Perez, who races in the Twilite Farms name. (Chart, Equibase)