Communicate has clean trip in eventful running of the Maiden Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. - The $101,250 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday had ample drama before and after the start.

After the field was loaded, Ilushion Eagle, the 2-5 favorite, became unsettled, forcing jockey Oscar Peinado out of the saddle. Ilushion Eagle was backed out of the gate and quickly scratched by track stewards on advice of a veterinarian because of the incident.

Outta Dodge, a winner of a time trial for the Maiden Stakes on Jan. 31, inherited the role of favorite, at 4-5, but broke slowly and sustained such a significant bump with a rival that he was eliminated yards away from the gate. Outta Dodge finished seventh.

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Communicate ($17) avoided the incident and led throughout, prevailing by a nose in a head-bobbing finish with 5-1 Up for You. Ridden by Jose Nicasio, Communicate ran 350 yards in 17.71 seconds.

Secretly Love (20-1) finished third in the field of nine, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

Communicate, a colt by PYC Paint Your Wagon, won for the first time in the Maiden Stakes, which was restricted to horses that had not won a race as of Dec. 1, 2020. Communicate, who races for the partnership of Adolfo and Eduardo Perez and trainer Monty Arrossa, had his eighth start in the Maiden Stakes final.

The colt was claimed for $20,000 from a maiden race on Nov. 7 and was second by a nose in a division of the Maiden Stakes trials.

Sunday’s win was worth $42,525. Communicate has earned $47,749.