After Nina’s Last Gift’s first three tries at Gulfstream Park produced a fourth, sixth and eighth, two of the races on the dirt and one on the turf, trainer Lazaro Alvarez inadvertently found the hole card for the daughter of First Dude. The 3-year-old filly’s fourth start was scheduled for one mile on the turf, but it was switched to the Tapeta track at a mile and 70 yards.
Leonel Reyes was aboard Nina’s Last Gift and he put her on the lead after the break – his filly did the rest. She went wire-to-wire without being threatened, and was nearly eight lengths ahead of the runner-up as she crossed the finish line.
The filly bred by Max Ubide and owned by Gayle Woods and Nina Ubide was clocked in 1:40.70, paid $5.60, and earned a check for $21,100. It will be interesting to see which surface she’ll be pointed for in her next start.