Ivanavinalot rides to the win in the Bonnie Miss Stakes.
Even-money favorite Ivanavinalot found the winner's circle again after a pair of runner-up finishes to begin the 2003 season, defeating front-running My Boston Gal by 1 3/4 length in the $200,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park on Friday.Ridden by John Velazquez for owner Gilbert Campbell and trainer Kathleen O'Connell, the Florida-bred daughter of West Acre collared the leader near the sixteenth pole and edged away. Final time for the 1 1/8-mile event was 1:50.72. Holiday Lady was third, five lengths behind the winner.A winner of three stakes at 2, Ivanavinalot had started the year with second-place finishes in the Sunshine Million Oaks on Jan. 25 and the Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II) on Feb. 23. This was her first graded stakes victory.Velasquez positioned her off the rail in second but never more than two lengths behind My Boston Gal as the field of seven made its way down the backstretch in splits of :23.32, :47.29 and 1:11.93. My Boston Gal, with Pat Day aboard, continued to lead the way down the stretch through a mile in 1:37.74, but was outfinished. Holiday Lady, with Eibar Coa in the irons, was unhurried after stumbling at the break and swung out late to get third, a length in front of Gold Player.Ivanavinalot picked up a winning share of $120,000 for her sixth victory in nine starts. She has now earned $618,300.The winner paid $4, $2.60 and $2.10. My Boston Gal returned $3.40 and $2.10. Holiday Lady's show price was $2.10. The $2 exacta was worth $13.60.(Chart, Equibase)
