April Gaze proved she was up to the task of facing stakes company on Saturday when the 3-year-old High Cotton filly scored a one-length tally in the $75,000 Sophomore Fillies S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

Away near the back of the seven-horse field, April Gaze began to advance after a quarter mile. Coming four-wide into the stretch, the chestnut filly wore down Valueable Charger in the final sixteenth, getting the seven furlongs in 1:24.29

“I knew that other horse was going to stop sooner or later,” jockey Elvis Trujillo told owner Karl Glassman and his wife, Cathi. “I had the perfect trip behind the leaders, this is a long stretch and I knew I had a lot of horse.” 

April Gaze has won four of her five lifetime starts and has now bankrolled $121,460 for the Glassmans.

“All the credit goes to Eddie (trainer Plesa) and Elvis,” Karl Glassman said. “It was a great ride, and Eddie and his team do an outstanding job. Wherever she goes from here is up to Eddie. It’s very exciting.” 

April Gaze was bred in Florida by Patricia Generazio.