Trainer Michelle Hemingway marked a memorable return to Gulfstream Park on Saturday when Runaway Diva produced a polished front-rank performance to land the $75,000 Mo Green Handicap, giving the stable another notable success at the Hallandale Beach venue nearly five years after her first American winner there.
The five-year-old mare, carrying top weight of 123 pounds, was ridden with confidence by Samy Camacho, who enjoyed a four-win afternoon on the card. Sent forward early, Runaway Diva tracked the pace-setting favourite Indy Bay through a sharp opening half-mile in 46.43 seconds before edging ahead on the turn for home. Once in front, she found more when asked and drew clear to score by a length and a half in a time of 1:36.90 for the one-turn mile.
It was another significant moment for Hemingway, whose career has included top-level success in South Africa while working alongside leading conditioners before returning to train in the United States. Her first domestic winner came at Gulfstream in October 2021, and Saturday’s feature success suggested there may be many more to come.
Runaway Diva wins Mo Green Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Runaway Diva arrived with strong credentials. She had opened her 2026 season with a fourth-place finish in stakes company at Colonial Downs, while last year’s campaign included runner-up efforts in the Twixt at Laurel Park and the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap after an emphatic allowance victory earlier in the summer.
Hemingway was in no doubt that the race conditions played perfectly to her mare’s strengths.
“A one-turn mile, that’s her thing. She loves it,” the trainer said. “But she’s versatile. She was second in the Delaware Handicap going a mile and an eighth in the slop. I think she’s going to have a huge campaign this year.”
Indy Bay, competing after several appearances against graded company, stayed on for second under Miguel Vasquez, while St. Olaf Rose finished a head away in third with Leonel Reyes aboard.
The result also continued an excellent day for Camacho, whose quartet of winners included Hemingway-trained Americandreammaker earlier on the programme. His well-judged ride aboard Runaway Diva capped one of the standout individual performances of the meeting.
Beyond the immediate success, Hemingway spoke positively about the future direction of the stable, noting that further young stock are progressing through the ranks and that the operation continues to grow.
That makes Saturday’s victory feel less like an isolated highlight and more like the start of another promising chapter.
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