First stakes score for red-hot Neolithic filly

Great Venezuela, who had previously been stakes-placed twice, captured her first black-type race Saturday and extended her unblemished record: she hasn’t been worse than third in her 10 career starts.

The 4-year-old Neolithic filly, owned and bred by Ocala’s Orlyana Farm, won the $125,000 Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs under Leonel Reyes and extended her record to 7-2-1, including five victories in her last six starts. She had finished second in her previous start in the Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Great Venezuela came from back in the pack at Tampa, made a five-wide sweep into the stretch and was going away at the finish, winning by two lengths in :55.75 for the five furlongs on the grass. The clocking is less than two seconds off the course record and afforded her an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 100, best of her 10 starts. She paid $6.20 and earned a check for $77,500, raising her bank account to $270,400.