Gamine makes winning look easy in Las Flores

ARCADIA, Calif. - By the standard set in 2020, Gamine had a relatively close finish to her successful 2021 debut in Sunday’s Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita.

She prevailed by only five lengths.

Last year, Gamine won the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes by 18 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park in June, the Grade 1 Test Stakes by seven lengths at Saratoga in August, and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint by 6 1/4 lengths at Keeneland in November.

Gamine was the champion female sprinter of 2020. An attempt to secure the same title this year began with a predictable win in the $98,000 Las Flores for fillies and mares, even if the comfortable winning margin was smaller than last year’s stakes wins.

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The margin barely mattered. Jockey John Velazquez sat quietly on Gamine through the final sixteenth of the Las Flores.

“She does everything so effortlessly,” Velazquez said.

Gamine ($2.10) drew $298,026 of the $339,123 bet to win. She ran six furlongs in 1:09.52 and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Breaking from the inside in a field of four, Gamine set early fractions of 22.74 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.77 for a half-mile, leading by at least a length. She was comfortably in front in early stretch.

Qahira (10-1) finished second, well clear of Biddy Duke. Hang a Star was last in the small field.

For Gamine, the Las Flores was a prep for the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff for fillies and mares at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 1.

“She’s filled out and she looked so professional,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She handled it pretty well. It will set her up.”

Gamine has finished first in six races, but was disqualified from a win in an allowance race at Oaklawn Park last May because of a medication violation.

Last September, between the wins in the Test and BC Filly and Mare Sprint, Gamine was third as the 7-10 favorite in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but was disqualified from that race because of a medication violation.

A $1.8 million purchase at a 2-year-old in-training sale, Gamine has won 5 of 7 starts and has earned $943,000 for owner Michael Lund Petersen.