Lakerville Gets First Black-Type Winner

Lakerball became the first black-type winner for California freshman sire Lakerville  when she held on to win by a head in the Oct. 8 listed Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

 The filly, bred by Rancho de Los Aviadores, also became the first black-type winner produced by the winning Capsized mare Category Ten. The mare is a half sister to grade 1 winner Ultra Blend (by Richly Blended) and stakes-placed winner Swing Thoughts (U S Ranger ).

Rancho de Los Aviadores put Lakerball through the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's Northern California Yearling Sale, but she was bought back on a final bid of $1,000. She became Lakerville's first winner when she broke her maiden by 8 1/2 lengths in her second start Aug. 8 at Del Mar on the dirt. The Surfer Girl was her first start on grass for Pappas Racing, Purple Rein Racing, and Tom Roberts.

Under Mario Gutierrez in the Surfer Girl, Lakerball broke sharply and quickly gained the lead. She remained the pacesetter throughout the one-mile race and just held off a late challenge by Lady Prancealot. The final time was 1:35.23.

Lakerville, who stands at Harris Farms for a private fee, is a graded-placed stakes winner by Unusual Heat and full brother to multiple black-type winner Gervinho, whose best performance came in the Sir Beaufort Stakes (G2T).