Victress repeats in Monashee Handicap

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – For the second year in a row Victress came off a lengthy layoff to win the $50,000 Monashee Handicap at Hastings Saturday. She paid $5.60 for her three-quarter-length victory over Yukon Belle in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Include can fire fresh. Last year Victress went into the Monashee after going unplaced in a first-level allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at Santa Anita on Jan. 1. This year she hadn’t raced since she finished ninth in the Grade 3 Red Carpet at Del Mar on Nov. 23.

With Amadeo Perez aboard, Victress settled early while Indie Rock set moderate interior fractions of 24.38 and 48.07 seconds. Perez asked her to get into the race at the quarter pole, but she didn’t immediately respond. Once she turned for home she finished full of run from along the rail to wear down Yukon Belle, who finished a length in front of Good Luck to You. Yukon Belle and Good Luck to You stalked Indie Rock early, and then took turns holding the lead in the stretch before Victress overwhelmed them.

“They were going pretty slow up front and I was a bit worried when they ran away from her at the quarter pole, “said Perez. “She really dug in when we hit the stretch, though.”

Trainer Rob Gilker was a bit surprised to see her make such a strong move from along the rail.

“She usually makes her run outside of horses,” he said. “She’s been off for a long time and I was hoping for a good effort from her. She certainly gave us one.”

Gilker and his wife Victoria paid $3,500 for Victress out of the 2016 Hastings Paddock Sale. The $28,500 winner’s share of the purse brought her earnings to $200,440.