‘Groupie’ Spectacularly Wins Career Finale
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Groupie Doll won the Hurricane Bertie Stakes in front of a large Gulfstream Park crowd on Feb. 9 (Photo by Penelope Miller)
Groupie Doll made the final start of her illustrious career a memorable one on Feb. 9 when she won the $200,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The time-time Eclipse Award winner as champion female sprinter got off to an extremely slow start, spotting the field many lengths soon after the break. But showing her class, Groupie Doll made up the ground as the field entered the turn and went five wide to take the lead soon after entering the stretch. It was easy going from there as the star mare closed out her career winning by open lengths in a near-track record time of 1:14.68 for 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt main track.
Bought by Mandy Pope for $3.1 million days after winning her second Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Groupie Doll returned to training with former trainer and co-owner Buff Bradley for her two final starts. She finished fourth in last year’s Cigar Mile before ending her career with the Hurricane Bertie win.
The 6-year-old mare is scheduled to be bred to leading sire Tapit later this year.