Gamine flawless in Great Lady M Stakes (G2); Into The Sunrise collects first stakes win; Six-time stakes winner Frank’s Rockette takes Saylorville Stakes
Into Mischief’s champion filly Gamine dominated her competition in the July 5th $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos, drawing off in the long stretch to win by 10 lengths in a near track-record performance.
The 4-year-old owned by Michael Petersen has won eight of her nine starts and earned $1,406,500.
Gamine showed her customary speed from the gate, with Edgeway in close pursuit through a quarter-mile in :21.61. Gamine began to pull away at the half-mile mark and then left the field far behind in the stretch to finish the 6 1/2-furlongs in 1:14.98, a half-second from the track record.
“That’s what great horses do,” trainer Bob Baffert said after the win. “When she runs I get nervous and I’m more relieved after the race. She looked great and I’m glad she came through.”
Gamine, who was last year’s Champion Female Sprinter, is undefeated this year, with wins in the Derby City Distaff (G1) and Las Flores S. (G3) prior to Monday’s win.
Baffert is considering longer distances for Gamine’s next race. “She might be able to stretch out. She’s getting older and more mature. That’s one option I’ve been thinking about, but I don’t know what we’ll do next. I want to see how she comes out of this and I’ll let her tell me.”
Into Mischief had a stellar Fourth of July weekend, with three stakes winners and another four stakes-placed horses. He leads the 2021 General Sires list in both categories, with 22 and 45, respectively.
Into The Sunrise collects first stakes win
Into the Sunrise’s front-running win in the Dade Park Dash S. July 4 at Ellis Park inched Into Mischief closer to a pair of stallion milestones that he is sure to eclipse this year.
The 3-year-old trained by Wesley Ward is one of his sire’s 98 lifetime stakes winners and upped his progeny earnings to $97.5 million. With 22 stakes winners and more than $13 million in progeny earnings already in 2021, both the 100 stakes winners and $100 million mark are well within reach in 2021.
Into the Sunrise was stakes-placed in last year’s Soaring Free S. at Woodbine and came into Sunday’s race off a May 21 turf allowance win at Belmont Park. Sent to the lead by Chris Landeros, Into the Sunrise flew through a quarter-mile in :21.55 and despite the hot early pace, widened his lead in the stretch until geared down in the final strides to win by 1 ¾-lengths.
Owned by the M Racing Group LLC, Into the Sunrise is 3-1-0 in eight starts and has earned $139,443. He was bred in Kentucky by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson. Out of Bellini Sunrise, Into the Sunrise is a full brother to Barbara Fritchie S. (G3) winner Hibiscus Punch.
Six-time stakes winner Frank’s Rockette takes Saylorville Stakes
Into Mischief’s top-class filly Frank’s Rockette was a handy winner of the $100,000 Saylorville S. at Prairie Meadows on July 3, giving the 4-year-old career stakes win number six and her second black type win of 2021.
Facing just three opponents, Frank’s Rockette took the lead from the outset and got a solid challenge from Blinkers in the lane but held off her opponent to win by three-quarters of a length in a swift 1:08.99 for the six furlongs on a fast track.
A multiple Grade 2 winner in 2020, Frank’s Rockette is now 8-5-1 in 15 lifetime outings and has earned $821,103 for her owner/breeder Frank Fletcher.
As he was in 2019 and 2020, Into Mischief is once again atop the 2021 General Sire list. His 22 stakes winners and 45 stakes horses are both nearly double any other stallion standing in North America.
Spendthrift New Release
Photo: Gamine and jockey John Velazquez win the Grade II, $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes, Monday, July 5, 2021 at Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress CA. (Benoit Photo)
