Mandella’s Linda’s Gift Stalks Pace & Dominates Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes

MANDELLA’S LINDA’S GIFT STALKS PACE & DOMINATES GRADE III, $100,000 SANTA ANA STAKES, WINNING BY 3 ¾ LENGTHS WHILE GETTING 1 ¼ MILES ON TURF IN 2:00.79

ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 24, 2024)—A gate to wire winner of two consecutive marathon turf stakes, Richard Mandella’s razor-sharp Linda’s Gift was content to sit second early in today’s Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes and she rallied powerfully to win going away by 3 ¾ lengths. With regular rider Tiago Pereira up, the 5-year-old mare by Arrogate got a mile and one quarter on turf in 2:00.79.

With a hillside start and short run to the dirt crossing at the top of the stretch, it was the Phil D’Amato-trained Leisureware who went to the early lead, with Linda’s Gift stalking her in second position, 1 ½ lengths back as the field crossed under the wire for the first time.

Leisurewear, ridden by Juan Hernandez, maintained a one length advantage three furlongs out but Linda’s Gift sailed by her with consummate ease turning for home and from that point, was essentially in a race of her own.

With her first graded stakes win coming two starts back at Del Mar going a mile three eighths in the Red Carpet Stakes on Nov. 23, Linda’s Gift most recent win came at a mile and one half on turf in Santa Anita’s Astra Stakes on Jan. 21.

Off as the 6-5 favorite among a field of eight older distaffers today, Linda’s Gift paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.10.

A Kentucky-bred mare out of the Tapit mare Americana, Linda’s Gift, originally based on the east coast, she now has four wins from seven starts in Southern California with Mandella.  Owned by John Cronin, Anthony DiMarco, Michael Mandara, Fred Nicotra and Vincent Varvaro, Linda’s Gift picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $314,936 while improving her overall race record to 13-5-2-2.

Irish-bred Queens Command, ridden by Antonio Fresu, rallied from mid-pack early to be second by 1 ½ lengths over English-bred Khinjani.  Off at 10-1, Queens Command paid $7.00 and $5.80.

An impressive recent allowance winner at the trip, Khinjani, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was the second choice at 3-1 and paid $3.20 to show while finishing a half length in front of Leisurewear.

Fractions on the race were 23.75, 48.39, 1:13.06 and 1:37.16.

First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.