GRIZABELLA REPEATS IN $75,000 MISS SOUTHERN OHIO
GRIZABELLA REPEATS IN MISS SOUTHERN OHIO
GRIZABELLA WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE MISS SOUTHERN OHIO
Exactly one year to the day, Michael Annechino’s 6-year-old mare Grizabella captured the now, $75,000 Miss Southern Ohio, for Accredited-breds going 1 1/16 miles over the greensward at Belterra Park. Once again, good weather prevailed on September 8, providing firm footing for the Jeff Radosevich trainee. She had been plagued with seconditis throughout her 50 race career and had compiled 12 runner-up finishes. In many of those starts she was content to relax early and then make a big run at the finish.
Regular rider Luis River decided to use a slightly different tactic and put Grizabella more forwardly placed as she was in this race last year. They were never more than a length behind pacesetter Leona’s Reward, who is in search of cracking the $1 million mark, and a win in the Miss Ohio would complete the task. John McKee put Leona on the lead, and she was there until the 1/8th pole. Leona was fighting the “Belterra Park Curse.” In all of her 52 lifetime starts and 19 victories, the multi-champion mare had never won a race in Cincinnati. Late in the race, that shadow was cast over her again, as Grizabella pulled away to best her by 2 ¼ lengths. Even money favorite Birdacious encountered several bumping incidents during the race and got up for third.
Grizabella was timed in 1:43.47, besting her time from the previous year by just over a full second. The daughter of Lunarpal out of Chic Gat by Tiger Ridge was bred by Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm. In claiming her first win of the year she now sports a record of 51-7-12-8 for earnings of $392,877. The trip to Belterra Park was worth the drive for trainer Jeff Radosevich and jockey Luis River as they both recorded three wins on the afternoon program.
