Gamine looks stellar in Test Stakes triumph

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It would be hard to imagine Gamine being able to run any better than she did in June, when she won the Grade 1 Acorn by 18 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

But the way she was training at Del Mar, trainer Bob Baffert thought it was possible.

“She was training much better going into this one,” Baffert said. “She was either going to run a hell of a lot better, or not at all.”

If possible, Gamine may have run better Saturday, jumping out to a controlled half-length advantage over the graded stakes winner Venetian Harbor until the top of the lane when, under John Velazquez, Gamine spurted clear to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Test Stakes by seven lengths at Saratoga.

:: Play Saratoga with DRF! Visit our Saratoga shop for DRF PPs, Picks and Clocker Reports:

Venetian Harbor, a 9 1/4-length winner of the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes in February, finished second by 6 1/2 lengths over Up in Smoke. Perfect Alibi and Mrs. Danvers completed the order of finish. Wicked Whisper scratched.

Gamine ($2.60) ran seven furlongs in 1:20.83, equaling the stakes record set by Lady Tak in 2003. The final time was .43 off the track record for the distance set by Derby Creek Road in 1978. Her final time was also faster than that of the 4-year-old Serengeti Empress (1:21.63), who won the Grade 1 Ballerina earlier on the card.

“It feels as good as the last time,” Velazquez said. “Whatever the times are or how long she won by it doesn’t matter, she feels good and that’s what counts.”

Since the Acorn, Baffert made one change to Gamine’s equipment, putting on a new bit that was designed to keep the filly straighter and easier for the rider to handle. Velazquez had mentioned to Baffert that, in the Acorn, Gamine was trying to get out some.

“I got her nice and relaxed, she’s getting better and better about relaxing,” Baffert said. “That different bit was much better for her. She was good all the way around.”

Gamine broke sharp from post 4 and Velazquez kept in that path down the backside with Venetian Harbor, under Joel Rosario, to her outside. The fractions were a comfortable enough 22.70 seconds for the quarter and 45.14 for the opening half-mile.

Going into the turn, Velazquez eased Gamine to the inside and turning for home he shook her up a little, slapped her on the shoulder one time and drew away.

“She broke so good and the other horse stayed right next to me, [Rosario] didn’t press the pace very much so I just let her do what she wanted to do the first quarter of a mile,” Velazquez said. “Once we got to the turn, she got really comfortable, she got really smooth, she got away from the other horse, she had a really fast pace from then on and she kept going.”

Gamine, a daughter of Into Mischief owned by Michael Petersen, has now crossed the finished line first in all four of her starts. She was disqualified from an allowance victory at Oaklawn Park for the finding of a banned substance in her system.

Baffert said Gamine will now be pointed to the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4.