Thoroughbred Black Mamba Ends Losing Streak

After coming up short in seven-straight races, Black Mamba finally got over the hump at the Beverly Hills Handicap. (AP Images)"]

Black Mamba's losing streak included five 2nd place and two 3rd place finishes in the seven races, all but one of them in grade I or II races. Owned by Double Down Stables, Black Mamba trainers got the services of top national rider Garrett Gomez, who kept the 5-year-old New Zealand mare out of trouble and in the clear on the outside for the home stretch.

In the end Black Mamba captured her first graded stakes victory for the $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap and just her third win overall in 19 starts.

“We wanted to have a good clean trip,” Sadler said. “She had a lot of trouble in the last one (the Santa Barbara Handicap), so we were more concerned that she got a smooth trip today. I told Garrett that she’s very steady and not hard to ride. She’s the kind of horse Garrett likes to ride because she drops the bit, you cover her up, and she’s not a hard puller which is key for a long distance race.

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