Gratefully puts undefeated record on the line in Wishing Well

ARCADIA, Calif. – The undefeated filly Gratefully has a tough act to follow in the $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Though the Wishing Well is a minor event in a specialty division – female turf sprinters – the six-furlong race has gained relevance the past two years. Before they became division leaders, Queen Maxima in 2025 and Ag Bullet in 2024 launched stakes campaigns by winning the Wishing Well.

This year Gratefully will take her turn. The 4-for-4 filly trained by Robert Falcone Jr. is the 2-1 program favorite in the Wishing Well, which is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a graded stake since August. Gratefully has never run in a stakes, but she runs like she belongs.

Fresh off a runaway victory in a second-level allowance, Gratefully faces tougher in the Wishing Well. Her main rivals are Egyptian Mau, a Group 3 winner in South Africa and an allowance-caliber mare in the U.S., and Saratoga Special, a European import training super for her U.S. debut.

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The nine-runner field also includes stakes winners Antifona, Jungle Peace, and Miss Lizzy; stakes-placed Amorita and Nay V Belle; and Imaboutago.

Gratefully, a 4-year-old daughter of Laoban, looks tough to beat based on her first California start. After winning all three of her races in New York by setting or pressing the pace, Gratefully rationed her speed on turf at Santa Anita. She relaxed comfortably in third position, and ran away by 3 3/4 lengths.

“She obviously has speed, but she’s versatile,” Falcone said. “She’s got a good head on her, and you could tell in her training she was maturing and settling down a bit more in the morning, galloping and not trying to be so eager all the time.”

Falcone said Gratefully has not missed a beat despite rain and track closures. Jockey Florent Geroux was on Gratefully for both her recent works; he takes over for sidelined Umberto Rispoli.

“It seems like [Gratefully] gets better and smarter, she’s a very intelligent filly,” Falcone said. “She’s grown into herself in the right way physical-wise, and between her ears. She’s definitely ready to roll.”

With speed and versatility, Geroux and Gratefully have the option of either setting or pressing the pace. Her main pace rival is comeback front-runner Jungle Peace.

Egyptian Mau will rally late under Juan Hernandez. Neil Drysdale trains Egyptian Mau, a second-level allowance winner in October and fourth last out in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas won by Queen Maxima. Egyptian Mau has won 3 of 12 starts.

Saratoga Special is a promising import making her U.S. debut after being purchased in December at a European auction for a reported $451,338. Richard Baltas trains Saratoga Special, whose workouts on the synthetic training track have been outstanding.

Video of her drill Feb. 7 shows Saratoga Special blowing away two other workers. Her Feb. 14 work received positive reviews from clockers. Saratoga Special is an Irish-bred who has won 2 of 11 starts. Hector Berrios has worked her, and will ride.

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