William Clifton Jr.s’ 5-year-old mare Hostess had run very well in major graded stakes last year without getting a win. She broke through in Sunday’s $150,000 Orchid Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park, rallying up the hedge in the stretch of the 1½ miles turf test to score by 1¼ lengths under jockey John Velazquez.

Trained by Jim Bond, Hostess was making her second start since last fall, scoring her third victory in 17 career starts. Robert Scarborough’s 5-year-old French-bred mare Mauralakana was the $1.90 to $1 favorite in the field of eight fillies and mares in a bid to give trainer Christophe Clement a seventh victory in the Orchid, but settled for second behind Hostess. She was three lengths clear of Amelie Erhrooth’s Herboriste third.

A daughter of Chester House, Hostess paid $12.80 and was timed the 12 furlongs on ‘firm’ turf in 2:25:83.

Winning Jockey Quotes

John Velazquez:

“I rode her today like I did last year.  I wasn’t concerned about the slow pace. When she ran in The Very One, the 1 1/8 miles wasn’t her distance. That day the ground was a little soft too, and she is better over firm ground like today. She was really close today and sustained her run. I let her go at the quarter pole and she finished really strong.”

Winning Trainer Quote

H. James Bond:

“She really deserves this win. I could run her in a ‘two other than’ but she’s run so well in so many of those big races that we went ahead. She is at her best at this distance. When they shortened up The Very One (1 1.8 miles) I understood that safety comes first, but it was really too short for her, and she probably needed a tightener (after layoff). We’ll get her back to New York before we see what’s next, maybe the Sheepshead Bay again (at Belmont on May 24). She was third in that race last year.”

 Fractions:   

24:82, 49:02, 1:15:18, 1:39:23, 2:02:59 & 2:25:83