Gamely Stakes (Grade 1)

Shoemaker Mile (Grade 1)

THE British-bred Awtaad filly Anisette kicked off her four-year-old season with a Grade 1 on a quality Memorial Day card at Santa Anita on Monday.

She came wide into the stretch in the Gamely Stakes, had to cut down the leader Ruby Nell and then to battle with Olivia Maralda, as the two four-year-olds went to the line.

Anisette, who went off as the 5/2 second choice, scored by a half-length from Olivia Maralda, who finished a length in front of outsider Forever After All. The second had won her maiden here for Michael O’Callaghan.

“When she felt that other filly come aside to her, she just kept on going,” said wining rider Umberto Rispoli. “I think it was a great effort.”

She was sold from Manor Farm to Avenue Bloodstock for 26,000gns at the 2021 Tattersalls Somerville Sale and Leonard Powell has since trained Anisette since she went to the US,.

Under the Gamely’s conditions, Anisette had to carry top-weight, giving Ruby Nell 2lb and 4lb to the others.

“She had to carry 4lb more than most of the field,” Powell said. “It was quite a task today.”

Anisette put together a stellar season last year for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, winning two Grade 1s in the Del Mar Oaks and American Oaks, the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes and running second in two other graded races.

Aron Wellman, of Eclipse Thoroughbreds said to media afterwards. “She had a tough campaign last year, for her to do what she did today is really special.”

Johannes makes grade

There was no luck for Frankie Dettori on the big race card and the closest he came was in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile when he partnered Funtastic Again for Wesley Ward into second place behind the Tim Yakteen-trained Johannes, a son of Nyquist.

Johannes was the second choice behind this year’s Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Stakes winner Du Jour. Umberto Rispoli gave him a stalking ride as leader Goliad was tracked by Funtastic Again and they led at the top of the stretch but were quickly joined by Johannes.

The two battled for the final furlong, with Johannes pulling ahead to win by a half-length. Du Jour, wide off the turn, took third.

Since he was switched to turf, Johannes lost only once in six starts. “He showed talent from the start, but to develop into this. I didn’t expect it in the early stages,” Yakteen said.

Baffert wins

The Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup gave Bob Baffert a big win on the card when Mr Fisk and jockey Kazushi Kimura found an opening coming off the far turn and forged their way to the front on their way to a two and a quarter-length victory.

Another son of the late Arrogate, Mr Fisk edged past Grade 1-placed stablemate Reincarnate in the stretch, with that one holding second and Dettori in third on Judge Miller.

The victory is the fourth in five starts for Mr Fisk, who opened his season with a win in the Grade 3 Californian Stakes here in April. The four-year-old is campaigned by his breeder, Sunny Brook Stables. He was taken away in the veterinary van afterwards and Baffert reported had a condylar fracture but had come through surgery successfully.

Baffert was among the winners on the Sunday when the Uncle Mo filly Adare Manor took her ninth success and her seventh at stakes race level in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes over nine furlongs at Santa Anita.

Under Juan Hernandez, Adare Manor added to her victory in April’s Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park for back-to-back graded wins and was winning her second Santa Margarita.

The Michael Petersen-owned mare coasted along in the four-horse field and was never in danger with Coffee In Bed finishing four lengths back in second.

“She loves to run behind the pace,” said Hernandez. “But today I was the pace, so she wanted to go. She relaxed, took a breath, and just kept on going.”

Flightline half-brother

All eyes were on race eight, before the graded action on Monday as Eagles Flight, a three-year-old Curlin half-brother to unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, delivered a powerful performance in his much anticipated debut.

The big bay colt came between horses entering the stretch and overcame some inexperience to draw away to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1m10.07secs for the six furlongs.

Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Flavien Prat, the colt came into the maiden off a series of fast five-furlong works.

“We’re really happy,” Sadler said on BloodHorse. “He got about four races of experiences in him from one race, considering he had to come up the inside and eat a lot of dirt. He handled those lessons very well, so I was very pleased.”