Presence of Lady Eli makes Gamely a tough return spot for Avenge

ARCADIA, Calif. – There will be no easy comeback race for Avenge when she makes her first start of 2017 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita.

Avenge was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November at Santa Anita, beaten a length by Queen’s Trust, who finished a nose in front of Lady Eli. Queen’s Trust is in England. Lady Eli is being sent from Chad Brown’s stable in New York for the $300,000 Gamely at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The competition was very much on the mind last weekend of Avenge’s trainer, Richard Mandella.

“I wish we didn’t have to do that,” he said of facing Lady Eli.

Owned by Ramona Bass, Avenge had a brilliant second half of 2016, winning the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes at Del Mar in September and the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes here in October before the loss in the BC Filly and Mare Turf.

Now 5, Avenge was turned out last winter.

“She’d done a lot, so we decided to pay it back,” Mandella said. “We hope to have a strong second half of the year.”

Avenge has won 6 of 13 starts and earned $651,996. Lady Eli has won 7 of 10 starts and earned $2,239,800. Lady Eli won the 2014 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

The presence of Lady Eli is likely to lead to a small field in the Gamely. Other candidates are Goodyearforroses, Mokat, and Pretty Girl.

The Gamely is one of two Grade 1 races on Saturday’s program. The other is the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita at 1 1/4 miles on dirt, the richest race of the track’s spring-summer meeting.

The Gold Cup field is expected to be led by Collected, the winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes on April 22, and Midnight Storm, who was second in the Santa Anita Handicap in March and third in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 15.

On Monday, Midnight Storm had his final workout for the Gold Cup, going five furlongs in 1:02. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Midnight Storm won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on Jan. 1.

D’Amato also intends to run Big John B, who was second in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles on dirt April 2. On Monday, Big John B worked five furlongs in 1:01.60.

The Tokyo City Cup was won by Hard Aces, a candidate for the Gold Cup who worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Monday. John Sadler trains Hard Aces, who won the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the most prestigious win of the 7-year-old’s 40-race career.

Bob Baffert trains Collected and said on Sunday that he is likely to also start Cupid, who won three Grade 2 stakes in 2016 but has not started since finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby last September.

Other probable starters are Follow Me Crev, Prime Attraction, and possibly Texas Ryano.