Lindas’ Gift cruises home in the Possibly Perfect (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Linda’s Gift proved much the best when collecting her fourth stakes win in Saturday’s $100,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on turf at Santa Anita.
Under a stellar ride from Tiago Pereira, Linda’s Gift (1-2) tracked pacesetter Turnerloose (5-1) until the two leaders approached the final turn. Pereira and Linda’s Gift proceeded to spurt past Turnerloose along the inside to grab the lead and they were never challenged from that point forward. Linda’s Gift cruised under the wire a 3 ½-length winner over second choice Musical Rhapsody (7-2) with another head back to Duvet Day (7-1) in third.
“She broke OK and relaxed nicely behind the horse in front of her,” said Pereira, who has been aboard for all four stakes wins. “At the 3 ½ (furlong marker) she went to the front real easy. I didn’t push her. It was a good win.”
Trained by Richard Mandella, Linda’s Gift won in a time of 2:00.49.
“Tiago did a masterful job, but I trained her to do that,” Mandella quipped from the Winner’s Circle.
Linda’s Gift previously had a three-race win streak snapped when fifth in the GI Gamely going 1 1/8 miles May 27 at Santa Anita. All of Linda’s Gift’s stakes wins have been at 1 ¼ miles and beyond. During her win streak, she won the GIII Santa Ana at 1 ¼ miles Feb. 4 and Astra Stakes at 1 ½ miles, both at Santa Anita, and the GIII Red Carpet going 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar in November.
Linda’s Gift upped her record to 15: 6-2-2 with $380,936 in earnings. A 5-year-old mare by Arrogate, she is owned by John Cronin, Anthony DiMarco, Michael Mandara, Fred Nicotra, and Vincent Varvaro.
Linda’s Gift returned $3.00, $2.20 and $2.10.Musical Rhapsody, ridden by Mike Smith for trainer Phil D’Amato, paid $2.80 and $2.20. Duvet Day, with Juan Hernandez up for trainer Michael McCarthy, paid $2.40.
Fractions for the race were 24.35, 48.46, 1:13.02 and 1:37.21.
