Improving Blue Mistress finishes 3rd in $60,000 Portofino Bay

On March 21, Blue Mistress broke her maiden on the grass impressively at Tampa Bay Downs while racing for a claiming price of $16,000. So it would seem that trainer Lester Barbazon Jr. sliding her way up the ladder into the $60,000 Portofino Bay Stakes at Gulfstream yesterday was a very ambitious move.

Considering the major jump in class, the 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike handled herself well, finishing third in the 1 1/16th-mile race on the grass that went in 1:43.30. Harry Hernandez took her away quickly and Blue Mistress settled into third place down the backstretch. Hernandez moved her on the turn, and – at odds of 27-1 – she made a strong run at the leaders and actually took the lead at the top of the stretch. However, she was unable to hold off the first two finishers in deep stretch.

The improving filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon earned a check for $5,880.