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Marina Ballerina Dances To Victory

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By BART O'CONNELL, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 3, 2008

OLDSMAR - The well-traveled Marina Ballerina earned a much-needed vacation with her performance Saturday afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs.

Racing for the sixth time, all at different tracks, in the past six months, the 6-year-old brown filly led nearly wire-to-wire in the seven-furlong Manatee Stakes, winning by a length against late closer Meredith Bee and seven others before an announced TBD crowd of 4,610.

Owned by Bob Pastor, trained by South Florida/Kentucky conditioner Steve Margolis, and ridden by Pedro Cotto Jr., Marina Ballerina will head to Ocala for at least 45 days off, and likely will be shipped to Churchill Downs after that.

"We were real happy with how she ran," Margolis said. "She took it to them, they had to come and get her, and Pedro did a great job."

After breaking fourth, Marina Ballerina took the lead from Sacred Father coming out of the backside chute, and set a fast pace entering the turn. She faced a brief challenge from Twiceasbeautiful on the inside, and 8-5 favorite Silk Candy on the outside, but kept a healthy lead into the stretch.

"I really wasn't worried, because she was running so sharp and easy," Cotto said. "I didn't really have to do anything - I was just a passenger. I was really relaxed on her, because I could feel from the gate that I had a lot of horse."

Meredith Bee, the William-Mott trained 4-year-old known as a strong closer, did just that, coming from fifth at the top of the stretch to second. But there simply wasn't enough track left to catch Marina Ballerina.

Haddie Be Good was third, while Rockaway Beach rounded out the superfecta. Silk Candy finished fifth.

Margolis felt Marina Ballerina's experience, which included six-figure stakes races at Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs and Monmouth, was an advantage. It also didn't hurt that morning-line favorite Taylor Madison, winner of last month's Minaret Stakes at TBD, was a late scratch.

Nevertheless, Marina Ballerina went off at 8 1/2 -1 and paid $19 to win.

"I was surprised with the overlay. I wanted to go to the window, but I'm superstitious. I don't bet," Margolis said. "But she's got a lot of class and a lot of speed.

"I know this is a difficult track sometimes to win over when never having raced on it, but she certainly showed a lot of determination."

Jockey Daniel Centeno had three victories on the day, aboard Colony Queen in the sixth, Silver Peagus in the eighth and Gibber's Gold in the ninth. He now has 52 wins on the season, 22 clear of second-place Rosemary Homeister Jr. Fellow riders Jose Velez Jr. and Irwin Rosendo had two wins each.

Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@pop.tampatrib.com.

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