Mean Mary to Try for Third Straight Win in Orchid

Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s homebred Mean Mary, unraced since a runaway triumph in her stakes debut nine weeks ago, returns looking to cap a perfect winter in the $100,000 Orchid Stakes presented by Rood & Riddle (G3T) Saturday, March 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Mean Mary has won each of her two starts during the Gulfstream Championship Meet for trainer Graham Motion. The 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy capped her sophomore season with a determined head triumph over Cap de Creus going 1 1/8 miles Dec. 22, then rolled to a front-running, five-length victory under jockey Luis Saez in the 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante (G3T) Jan. 25. Cap de Creus also is entered in the Orchid.

Video: La Prevoyante S. (G3T)

"I couldn't have predicted that. She just kind of galloped around there," Motion said. "There was no pace in the race and I thought it was very clear that Luis was going to end up on the lead, so the next question was, 'Would she be able to handle the distance,' which she obviously did. I was pretty encouraged by it."

Mean Mary ran fifth in her unveiling on the dirt at Laurel Park last fall, but has been first or second with three wins in four tries since making the switch to the turf, starting with a 3 1/4-length maiden special weight score in October at Keeneland. Her lone grass defeat came in her only start as the favorite in November at Aqueduct.

"She's pretty straightforward, actually, which is odd because in the morning she's tended to be quite tricky. But she has mellowed some and I think she's a galloper. She'll gallop them into the ground if they let her," Motion said. "I'd like to think she can be competitive with the better grass mares this summer."

Saez returns to ride Mean Mary from Post 6 in an expected field of 12 older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles at co-topweight of 124 pounds.

Entries: Orchid S. presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 28, 2020, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:17 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Beale Street (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Michael R. Matz	15/1
2	2Kelsey's Cross (FL)	Florent Geroux	118	Patrick L. Biancone	10/1
3	3Irisa (ARG)	Edgar S. Prado	120	Ignacio Correas, IV	30/1
4	4Quick Witted (KY)	Joe Bravo	118	Ignacio Correas, IV	15/1
5	5Gentle Ruler (KY)	Chris Landeros	124	Ian R. Wilkes	7/2
6	6Mean Mary (KY)	Luis Saez	124	H. Graham Motion	3/1
7	7Cap de Creus (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
8	8Beau Belle (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Thomas Albertrani	8/1
9	9Get Explicit (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	118	Barbara J. Minshall	12/1
10	10La Australiana (KY)	Marcos Meneses	118	Juan Carlos Avila	30/1
11	11Over Thinking (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Victoria H. Oliver	30/1
12	12Elizabeth Way (IRE)	Paco Lopez	124	Roger L. Attfield	9/2