Linda's Gift walks dog on lead and has plenty left in Red Carpet

A slow pace gave the front-runner Linda’s Gift an insurmountable advantage in Thursday’s Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes at Del Mar, leading to the first career stakes win for the 4-year-old filly.

The second choice in a field of seven fillies and mares, Linda’s Gift ($7.80) was unchallenged on the lead while setting dawdling fractions of 26 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 51.62 for a half-mile.

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Linda’s Gift led by a length with a furlong remaining and won by three-quarters of a length over 18-1 Musical Rhapsody, who raced in second throughout.

Linda’s Gift ran 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:17.80 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90, which equals her career-best.

The slow pace hurt the chances of leading contenders Sister Otoole, the 8-5 favorite, and Neige Blanche, the winner of the 2021 Red Carpet who was 4-1 this year. They raced in the second half of the field before launching rallies in the final three furlongs that led to third- and fourth-place finishes. Sister Otoole was beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

Symphony Perfect finished fifth, followed by Oakhurst and With Love. Loved Reiko was withdrawn earlier in the week.

:: DRF's Black Friday Sale: Get 20% off (almost) everything in the DRF Shop. Code: BF2023

Linda’s Gift, a 4-year-old filly by Arrogate, has won 3 of 11 starts and earned $194,936 for the partnership of John Cronin, Anthony DiMarco, Michael Mandera, Fred Nicotra, and Vincent Varvaro, and trainer Richard Mandella.

Linda’s Gift joined Mandella’s stable earlier this year. The filly was initially trained by George Weaver in 2022, a season that included a win in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park.

For Mandella, Linda’s Gift has won 2 of 5 starts, including an allowance race at Del Mar in the summer.

The $101,000 Red Carpet Stakes was Linda’s Gift’s second start of the Del Mar autumn meeting. Linda’s Gift finished a troubled fourth in a field of nine in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes at a mile on turf on Nov. 11.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.