HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Annette Allen’s Stolen Holiday surged late under jockey Junior Alvarado to win the $125,000 Suwannee River (G3).

The 73rd running of the Suwannee River, a one-mile turf event for fillies and mares, was the third of six stakes, five graded, worth $850,000 in purses on an 11-race New Year’s Eve program. Stolen Holiday covered the mile in 1:34.32.

The victory for Alvarado moved him to within six wins of 2,000 for his career.

Stolen Holiday ($13.40), a 5-year-old mare trained by Shug McGaughey, was well back before unleashing a late stretch charge to defeat Lady Rockstar, with early frontrunner Bay Storm holding on for third.

She improved her record to five wins in 12 lifetime starts.

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Winning trainer Shug McGaughey (Stolen Rocket): “That’s a little bit different style for her, although she did finish [in the Sand Spring) here last year. She’s usually more forwardly placed. In the first turn, I didn’t know what would happen, but she finished real good.”

Winning jockey Junior Alvarado (Stolen Rocket): “She broke good. I was getting in there behind the speed horses and somebody on the rail squeezed through, pushed me out, made me clip heels and after that it was Plan C or D to come from behind. She was just much the best. She overcame all the problems. I was just a passenger to try and give her as smooth a ride as I can. Turning for home, she just gave me a beautiful kick and I knew by the eighth pole that I was going to get there.”

Six away from 2,000 wins: “I know it’s there because they remind me every time I win a race now. I just try to do my job. I don’t try to worry about it, eventually it will come. I just go race by race and try to do my best and it eventually will come.”