Linda's Gift has no trouble with Possibly Perfect Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Linda’s Gift recorded a comfortable win in Saturday’s $100,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita, continuing her dominance of California’s female turf marathon division.

Linda’s Gift, always near the front, took the lead from pacesetter Turnerloose at the end of the backstretch. Turnerloose, racing off the rail, moved slightly farther out toward the end of the backstretch, giving jockey Tiago Pereira ample room to urge Linda’s Gift to the lead.

“It was slick to wait for that filly to come off the fence,” winning trainer Richard Mandella said of Pereira’s ride. “Today, it probably didn’t matter, but sometimes it makes a difference.”

A heavy favorite, Linda’s Gift ($3) led by two lengths with a quarter-mile remaining and won by a cozy 3 1/2 lengths. She ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.49 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

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Musical Rhapsody, winner of the Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf on May 11, closed from last of five after a slow start to finish second at 7-2, a nose in front of 7-1 Duvet Day. Pleasant Wave and Turnerloose completed the order of finish in the small field.

Turnerloose set a fair pace of 24.35 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.46 for a half-mile before fading.

Linda’s Gift has won four marathon turf stakes for fillies and mares at distances ranging from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/2 miles since last November, including two Grade 3 stakes in that span – the Red Carpet at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar last November and the Santa Ana at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on Feb. 24.

Linda’s Gift's only loss this year was a fifth-place finish in a field of eighth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 27.

A 5-year-old mare by Arrogate, Linda’s Gift races for the partnership of John Cronin, Anthony DiMarco, Michael Mandara, Fred Nicotra and Vincent Varvaro.

Linda’s Gift has won 6 of 15 starts and earned $380,936.

After Saturday’s win, Mandella mentioned the $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 16 as a summertime goal for Linda’s Gift.

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