ARCADIA, Calif. – A class drop and beneficial pace scenario will drive down the price on front-runner Linda’s Gift in the $100,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for grass fillies and mares Saturday at Santa Anita.
Six are entered in the Possibly Perfect, 1 1/4-mile race that marks a return to favorable conditions for Linda’s Gift. After three successive long-distance stakes wins, trainer Richard Mandella took a shot and ran her 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Gamely.
“It wasn’t her best race, but it wasn’t bad,” Mandella said.
Making her first start in three months as the fifth choice in the betting, Linda’s Gift ran accordingly – fifth by 2 1/2 lengths.
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“It was a different race from what she’d been running in,” Mandella said. “I was hoping with her being fresh, she would adapt to that. But I think she’s better longer and steady.”
Linda’s Gift benefits Saturday by longer distance and easier company. The 1 1/4 miles is a perfect trip, and the drop from Grade 1 to ungraded is huge. Also, Linda’s Gift and jockey Tiago Pereira could be loose on the lead against a rival she defeated the last four times they met.
Musical Rhapsody is one of three entrants trained by Phil D’Amato, who hopes recent back-to-back wins give Musical Rhapsody the courage to turn the tables on her nemesis. “Hopefully, the confidence-boosters will help,” D’Amato said, laughing at the improbability.
The idea is not crazy. After all, Linda’s Gift is jamming back 19 days after a loss. Musical Rhapsody had an entire month since she won the Santa Barbara Stakes. Musical Rhapsody, a late-runner, would benefit if pressure was applied to Linda’s Gift. D’Amato could play a wild card: He also entered Turnerloose and Lakota Spirit.
“Turnerloose, we might do something a little different with her in this race,” he said.
Turnerloose recently has rallied from behind but she used an up-front strategy finishing second last year in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar. Making her third start back, with a soft pace expected, Turnerloose and Antonio Fresu could be forwardly placed and keep Linda’s Gift company.
It might not matter, because Linda’s Gift has proven to be as effective pressing the pace as setting the pace. A 5-year-old by Arrogate, Linda’s Gift has won five races and $320,936 from 14 starts. Mandella is not concerned about the 19-day turnaround. “She acts very good,” he said.
Musical Rhapsody has won five races and $166,097 from 17 starts; she and regular rider Mike Smith will be rolling late. D’Amato toyed with running her Sunday in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano, but said midweek he intends to start Musical Rhapsody in the Possibly Perfect.
Duvet Day, who finished a nose behind Musical Rhapsody last out, has won three races and $248,813 from 19 starts. Juan Hernandez rides Duvet Day for trainer Michael McCarthy. Pleasant Wave is likely to start as the longest shot in the field.
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