Gone Rebel comes out of monster race

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Gone Rebel drops from the most productive juvenile filly stakes of the year into an easier spot Sunday at Hollywood Park, where she should race gate to wire in the six-furlong $55,000 Anoakia Stakes.

“She’s very, very fast, and she has improved considerably since Sept. 4,” trainer Vladimir Cerin said, referring to the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, in which Gone Rebel pressed a fast pace for a half-mile before she weakened.

The Debutante turned out to be a live race. Three starters won Grade 1’s next out – runner-up Wickedly Perfect won the Alcibiades at Keeneland, third-place Rigoletta won the Oak Leaf at Hollywood Park, and fifth-place A Z Warrior won the Frizette at Belmont.

In addition, Debutante winner Tell a Kelly finished second in the Oak Leaf, and sixth-place Sugarinthemorning won an allowance.

Only four others entered the Anoakia. Tales in Excess finished second as the odds-on allowance favorite last out, Blazing Along is a maiden, Hanakkuh won a maiden claimer at Fairplex, and Pleasing Sunrise is a late-running California-bred.
Pat Valenzuela rides Gone Rebel for owners Holly and David Wilson; Cerin said the filly has matured since her most recent start seven weeks ago. “She’s grown, she’s put on weight,” he said.

The speed of the Anoakia field, Gone Rebel has won 1 of 4 and may be pointed afterward to the Louisiana Jewel, a $250,000 race for Louisiana-bred 2-year-old fillies Nov. 20 at Delta Downs.

Tales in Excess, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, disappointed Oct. 7 when she finished second by a half-length as the 3-10 favorite in an allowance. “Sometimes you get beat by a good horse,” assistant trainer Dan Ward said. “The horse that won is a good horse.”

He was referring to 2-for-2 Sarah’s Secret, who is out of training until Jan. 1 according to her trainer, Kathy Walsh.

Before the runner-up allowance, Tales in Excess won a Del Mar maiden race by more than four lengths with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure iof 93. If she is comfortable sitting behind Gone Rebel in the Anoakia, she could get a good trip under jockey Joel Rosario.

Late-runner Pleasing Sunrise will be “sitting back, and passing them” late, trainer Mike Puype said. Pleasing Sunrise might have waited for the $75,000 California Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 30, but at this stage of her 1-for-3 career, 1 1/16 miles is too far.