Black Mamba staves off upset

Black Mamba (far right) was momentarily outfooted by Lemon Chiffon (Benoit Photo) Doubledown Stables’ BLACK MAMBA (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe) duly delivered as the 4-5 favorite in Friday night’s $89,020 CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California H. at Del Mar, but the class of the field had to turn back a bold bid from Lemon Chiffon (Lemon Drop Kid) to do so. With Mike Smith aboard, Black Mamba tracked the slow pace set by Gloria Goodbody (Arch) through splits of :25 1/5, :49 3/5, 1:14 2/5 and 1:38 4/5 on the firm turf. Entering the far turn, David Flores drove Lemon Chiffon forward on the outside, and the 5-2 second choice responded rapidly to take a narrow lead. Although Black Mamba appeared to be outsprinted at the top of the stretch, the John Sadler mare battled back along the rail and eventually wore down Lemon Chiffon by three-quarters of a length. Black Mamba finished the 1 3/8-mile affair in 2:14 1/5, returning $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10 to her many backers.

Lemon Chiffon held second by a half-length from the late-running Rosa Grace
(GB) (Lomitas [GB]), who was in turn 3 3/4 lengths clear of fourth-place
finisher Wine and Dyne (Dynaformer).

Winner of the
2008 John C. Mabee H. (G1) over the course, Black Mamba bounced
back from a last-place effort in the Beverly D. S. (G1) on rain-softened ground at Arlington Park. The
six-year-old bay won her second straight Beverly Hills H. (G2) two starts
previously, and she’s now earned $909,098 from a 32-6-7-3 career ledger.

Black Mamba also owns nine stakes placings, including third-place finishes in
the past two runnings of the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1). According to Sadler, she
will attempt to improve
on those efforts in this year’s edition on October 10 at Santa Anita.

Bred in New Zealand by Keltern Stud, the winner is out of the Group 3 queen
and classic-placed Sneetch (Grosvenor). Black Mamba is a half-sister to the dam
of this year’s A.J.C. Australian Derby (Aus-G1) victor Roman Emperor (Montjeu
[Ire]) and New Zealand Group 2 winner and classic-placed Rios (Hussonet). She
hails from the same family as Australasian Oaks (Aus-G1) heroine Tully Thunder
(Thunder Gulch) and Oaks S. (Aus-G1) victress Sandy’s Pleasure (Aus) (Dash O’
Pleasure).