Special Aviator gave Grade 1 winner Global Campaign his first stakes winner Saturday at Gulfstream Park in a thrilling finish over Bellavinino in the $95,000 Our Dear Peggy S.
The 2-year-old filly, who won her Sept. 21 debut over the Tapeta surface by 3 ¾-lengths, is undefeated in two starts and has earned $66,750. Special Aviator is one a dozen winners for Global Campaign thus far this year, and is one of her sire’s three stakes performers.
Special Aviator was unhurried early and made her way to the inside rail as the field rounded the first turn. She was patiently ridden and bided her time several lengths off the lead down the backstretch. She began to get closer to the lead on the final bend, then split horses in upper stretch to take the lead. She held off the late charge of Bellavinino to win by a neck in 1:35.67 for the one mile on the firm turf.
“I had a really perfect trip inside. My filly always likes to follow somebody, even when I was working her as a baby before she started running. When she has competition in front, she can follow them and come fighting with a horse,” jockey Edwin Gonzalez said. “When I passed in between horses I knew she had company, and she’d keep going to the wire. She’s a nice 2-year-old. If she keeps running like that, she’ll keep winning stakes races.”
Owned by Special Aviators LLC and Span Investments, Special Aviator was bred in Kentucky by Mark Secrest and sold to her owners for $100,000 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale in April.
