On March 14, owner/trainer Juan Arriagada scored in a $10,000 claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs with his 5-year-old mare, Sweet Nola. She was entered for the $10,000 tag that day.
Since then, the daughter of First Dude has gone on to run up a five-race winning streak in optional claimers at Tampa and Presque Isle Downs, and she hasn’t been entered to be claimed.
Sweet Nola’s latest victory came in a $34,000 allowance optional claimer in Pennsylvania, with veteran Willie Martinez in the saddle. At a mile and 70 yards over the all-weather track, in a field of three after two scratches, she sat second for most of the trip, then exploded in the stretch to win by 6 3/4 lengths. She has won her last five by an incredible combined total of 25 1/4 lengths.
The mare bred by Frank Mermenstein and Tom Mc McCrocklin paid $3.40 and earned a check of $20,400, lifting her career total to $153,904 on a record of 8-5-1 in 28 starts. This year alone, she’s 5-1-0 in seven tries with earnings of $98,570.
She’s rapidly closing in on First Dude’s $200,000 list.