Enola Gray stays perfect with easy Melair victory

ARCADIA, Calif. – Enola Gray won sprinting first time out against maidens, and on Saturday at Santa Anita went two turns against stakes runners. Two starts, two easy wins, but trainer Phil D’Amato is in no hurry to throw her in against the best 3-year-old fillies around, preferring another building block as he lays a foundation.

D’Amato said the Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar on July 22 likely would be next for Enola Gay, but wherever and whenever that next start comes, it will be worth watching. On Saturday, Enola Gay cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory against fellow California-breds in the $200,000 Melair, needing just light encouragement from jockey Tyler Baze.

“Tyler rode her very confidently,” D’Amato said. “He did the right thing. She rated, with her ears pricked. She did it in hand.”

Enola Gray made the top in the 1 1/16-mile race and loped along through fractions of 23.97 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 47.72 for the half, and 1:11.88 for six furlongs before polishing off the race in 1:42.64 on the fast main track. Allsquare, also trained by D’Amato, kept gallantly to her task to finish second, 4 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Cheekaboo.

The Spiral Jetter was fourth and was followed, in order, by Hacktivism and Shy Carmelita, who stumbled badly at the start.

Enola Gray, a daughter of Grazen, was bred and is owned by Nick Alexander. She won first time out on April 10 by more than 16 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 99. She was 4-1 that day, but the impressive nature of that victory made her a prohibitive favorite in the Melair, and she paid just $2.20 to win.

There was a significant show betting on Enola Gray. Of the $388,932 in the show pool, $346,016 was bet on Enola Gray. The track reported a minus pool of $64,492 to pay out the minimum $2.10 to all winning show tickets.