The Gamely Stakes (Grade 1)- $400.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
May 29, 2023

Heading into the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, it did seem as though Zalinda was the horse to beat. The seven year old mare had been consistently finishing in the money at the graded level even if they were not all victories. This would make her our selection as well as the pick of the bettors as she was made the post time favorite. Of course, that does not necessarily mean anything when it comes time to race. On this day, Zalinda would step up and ran the race in a similar manner as her last win, the Grade 2 Hillsborough from mid-March. Her effort secures the first win in the Gamely for Threshold, otherwise known as Stu to those of us here in the SRF, as well as the first such win for jockey J Lezcano. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:45.81, which is more of a median time in comparison to the other editions of the race held at SA. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/2 Mile- :47.10)- Out of the gate, and down the frontstretch for the first time, a group of four horses try to take the early lead but wanting it a little more would be Ruby Ridge, out of TwinTowersRacing. The overwhelming longshot in the race clears the other three just prior to reaching the first turn and holds a length and a half advantage as they move around it. Those other three horses are content to serve as stalkers, with Martyparty’s Loihi having a neck in front while running on the outside. To her inside, both Tessas Star and Coconut Milk, trained respectively by Glorify Stables and Wood Duck Stables, are side by side. Wanting no part of that action would our eventual winner from Threshold, Zalinda. She opts to run by herself in the fifth position, about three lengths behind the leader. At the back. Villeneuve (Mo Mentum Farm) can see them all.

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.93)- For now, Ruby Ridge can still claim to be the leader, but she is clearly laboring now on the front end and will see several of them go by her in the turn. It’s Loihi in the driver’s seat right now, as she’s within a half-length of taking the lead after six furlongs. The two that had been to her inside, Tessas Star and Coconut Milk, are still there, and they each need to move over a lane in order to accommodate the soon to be dropping back pacesetter. In the second half of the backstretch, J Lezcano would make an outside move with Zalinda, and she would close in on those in front of her pretty quickly, though would be five wide for the turn. As of now, Villeneuve had not gotten involved.

(Top of Stretch, 1.6F To Go)- Midway through the turn, the top five horses were all even with one another as if they had just been released from the starting gate. So, the question now would be which of them would be able to outkick the others and you have to like Zalinda in that battle. After all, she had also closed in on the three stalkers as well a Ruby Ridge. The only question would be whether or not the outside lane would get the bet of her. At the top of the stretch, Tessas Star would look to be the main horse Zalinda could have to contend with. Although, further back, Villeneuve was getting into her best stride and getting closer.

(Finish- 1:35.81)- Early in the stretch, Zalinda would beat Tessas Star and start to inch away from her with every stride. At that point, it was looking good for the race’s favorite, but we still could not rule out Villeneuve. She was looking to make a race of it but was considerably outside in her effort. In the end, she began making her move too late, as there would be no stopping this classy horse from Threshold, Zalinda. She’d go on to score her second win as a seven-year-old. Villeneuve got within a length to be second, with Tessas Star completing the trifecta. It was two more lengths to the fourth place Loihi, who beats Coconut Milk and Ruby Ridge.

About The Winner- Zalinda, trained by Threshold and ridden to victory by J Lezcano, is a seven-year-old mare by Moment Of Madness, and is out of the late Seashell Whisperer. She was bred by Blushing Meadows in Florida as a yearling and was acquired by Threshold in the December 2018 auction for $13.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fourteenth in 39 starts, her sixth stake win and fifth graded win. Her career earnings are now $1,497.140.

Track: Firm
Time: :47   1:10⁴  1:34²  1:45⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 5 Paid 37.40
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 5 – 2 Paid 27.10

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES