Linda's Gift held out of Santa Barbara in favor of the Gamely

Linda’s Gift, the winner of three consecutive stakes for fillies and mares in Southern California since late November, is a glaring absentee from Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita.

It will not be long before the 5-year-old Linda’s Gift is racing again. Trainer Richard Mandella said on Thursday that Linda’s Gift is a candidate for the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, a $300,000 turf race for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on May 27.

Linda’s Gift may not be Mandella’s only runner in the Gamely, the track’s leading annual race for fillies and mares on turf. Ruby Nell, unraced since a win in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes on March 3, is under consideration for the Gamely as well as the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf the same day.

The $300,000 Shoemaker would be Ruby Nell’s first start against males. She has won four stakes since April.

“I like the mile distance,” Mandella said of the Shoemaker. “But they both could go in the Gamely.”

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The Gamely and Shoemaker are the final two Grade 1 races at the current Santa Anita meeting, which runs through June 16. The May 27 program includes the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.

Linda’s Gift has thrived at longer distances on turf since last fall, winning the Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 23; the Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita on Jan. 21; and her latest start, the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, on Feb. 24.

A winner of 5 of 13 starts, Linda’s Gift has earned $314,936. By Arrogate, Linda’s Gift races for the partnership of John Cronin, Anthony DiMarco, Michael Mandara, Fred Nicotra, and Vincent Varvaro.

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