Gimme A Nother powers home in the Gr 2 John C Mabee Stakes (Delmar Turf Club – @Benoit Photo)
Gimme A Nother, running in the familiar yellow and black colours of Steven and Jessica Jell’s Mauritzfontein Stud, is a Gr 2 winner in the USA, a valuable addition to her stud CV, after trainer Graham Motion and jockey Juan Hernandez pulled off a magnificent win in the John C. Mabee Stakes over one mile and one furlong at Del Mar. Gimme A Nother’s USA campaign is officially for Steven and Jessica’s USA stud operation, Newstead Stables, who use the same colours as Mauritzfontein.
The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred Gimme A Nother’s seven out of seven victories in South Africa were all on the Turffontein Standside straight and fans became used to her flat spot when asked to go before she produced her famous late burst.
However, this style did not bear fruit on the USA tracks with their shorter straights, despite the pace of their races generally being stronger.
Therefore Motion has converted her into a handy to front-running sort, although it has to be said the reluctance of many of her opponents to go forward in her last two starts has aided this cause.
This nearly landed her a Gr 2 at Woodbine in Canada last time out where she got an easy lead and failed by a head to hold on.
At Del Mar on Saturday she broke well and managed to get into second place from draw seven without much effort as the majority of the jockeys drawn inside of her were content to sit on their mounts.
Hopeful did not set exceptional fractions in front, but Hernandez chose to sit still on Gimme A Nother and allow the former to open a gap.
Gimme A Nother then had Kentucky Gal moving on to her outside on the back straight, but although she was caught in a pocket the pace was strong enough for her to stride out in a nice relaxed rhythm.
Hernandez celeverly dropped Gimme A Nother a length behind Kentucky Girl as they arrived at the turn, but he then drove for the gap in between the leader and the slowing Kentucky Girl halfway around the turn, which allowed him to burst through the gap with momentum.
The favourite Medora had come from five lengths back to join Gimme A Nother in the straight.
However, a kick at the top of the straight saw Gimme A Nother steal a length. In terms of substance she dwarfed Medora and, staying on resolutely with long strides, she arrived at the line 1,25 lengths clear, despite being the only horse in the field to carry a two pound Gr 1 penalty.
Gimme A Nother’s run importantly gave her experience of Del Mar, where she will likely be lining up in the Gr 1 Breeders Cup Filly And Mare turf over a mile and three furlongs in November.
It was a fine day for Jessica and Steven Jell of Mauritzfontein Stud and Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud, because earlier in the day at Turffontein Inside Gimme A Nother’s Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained half-sister by Danon Platina, Special Star, who is owned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud, had won her maiden by 2,40 lengths when stepped up to a middle distance of 1800m for the first time.
