Hollywood Park: My Gi Gi rallies strong to win Honeymoon Handicap

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – My Gi Gi won the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park, a victory that trainer Peter Eurton credited to jockey Rafael Bejarano.

My Gi Gi ($8.40) closed from fourth in a field of five to win the Grade 2 Honeymoon by a nose over 1-2 favorite Lady of Shamrock, who displayed a remarkable rally late to just miss. Trained by John Sadler, Lady of Shamrock won three turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies during the winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita.

In the Honeymoon, Lady of Shamrock carried top weight of 123 pounds, 7 pounds more than My Gi Gi.

“It was an unreal ride,” Eurton said of Bejarano. “He seemed like he was riding his horse and Sadler’s horse.”

My Gi Gi ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:49.22. Bejarano had My Gi Gi in fourth on the backstretch, tracking Long Face, who set early fractions of 24.25 and 49.18 seconds. My Gi Gi moved closer with a wide rally on the turn and took the lead in the final furlong.

“Carrying [less] weight, the slow pace and getting first run meant everything,” Eurton said.

Lady of Shamrock was last in the field of five to the final furlong. Jockey Alonso Quinonez, riding Lady of Shamrock for the first time, considered going between fillies in the stretch and opted for a wide rally. Lady of Shamrock displayed a remarkable rally, but could not catch My Gi Gi.

“I had nowhere to go and had to go wide,” Quinonez said. “They went so slow the first part.”

Stormy Lucy finished third, followed by Trois Aureole and Long Face.

My Gi Gi has won 2 of 7 starts and $157,540. By E Dubai, My Gi Gi races for Dennis Conner, Lloyd DeBruycker, and Wade Jacobsen. She was second by a nose in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes here May 5.