Champion Gamine Victorious in Las Flores Return

Thoroughly outclassing her three rivals, Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine —the champion female sprinter of 2020—rolled by five lengths in her 4-year-old debut April 4 at Santa Anita Park in the $98,000 Las Flores Stakes (G3).

Unraced since her track record-setting victory in the Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Gamine was never threatened Sunday once she broke cleanly from her inside post. She comfortably made the lead under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and was on cruise control in the six-furlong race.

The Into Mischief   filly set slow fractions of :22.74 and :45.77 and bounded away when given a cue by Velazquez. She was timed in 1:09.52 on a fast track under a hand ride, capped by a final quarter in :23.75.

"And Bob thinks she's not ready yet—that's what he told me," Velazquez said with a laugh.

If she made any miscue, it was wanting to drift out around the turn, though Velazquez was able to control her by keeping a firm hold on her left rein. He slapped her once on her right shoulder nearing the eighth pole, and she switched leads and powered away.

"She does everything so effortlessly—just everything that she does. Makes my job a lot easier," Velazquez said. "All I had to do was steer where I wanted to go and that's it."

Stablemate Qahira , who chased the pace in third early, grabbed second, giving Baffert a 1-2 finish. Pace-pressing Biddy Duke  was third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up, and Hang a Star  was last.

Gamine stood out to such an extent in the Las Flores that she returned $2.10 to win. The $2 exacta with Qahira, the 10-1 second favorite, returned only $2.80. No place or show wagering was offered.

The Las Flores was meant to prepare Gamine for the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1), a seven-furlong race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs May 1.

Baffert said the Easter crowd in attendance at Santa Anita saw "one of the greatest fillies I have ever trained around one turn. Hopefully we're gonna stretch her out."

The Hall of Famer, who won his fifth Las Flores, added that Petersen was happy he chose to prep her in Sunday's race rather than simply give her workouts leading to long-term objectives.

"When you own one like that, it's exciting to watch them run," he said.

Bred in Kentucky by Barbara Banke's Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, Gamine is one of two winners out of the stakes-placed Kafwain  mare Peggy Jane . The dam also has 3-year-old Speightstown   colt named Splashtown, a 2-year-old unnamed Ghostzapper   filly, and an unnamed yearling colt by Kantharos  .

Gamine was first purchased by Grand Oaks from the Summerfield consignment for $220,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale. In 2019 she topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale, where she was sold by consignor Bobby Dodd to Petersen for $1.8 million.

Gamine earned $60,000 Sunday to increase her earnings to $943,000. She is a five-time winner from seven starts and is a stakes record holder at three different racetracks.