Hard Not to Like Skims Rail, Takes Gamely
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Speedway Stable's Hard Not to Like showed a liking for the Santa Anita Park turf course with a come-from-behind victory in the $300,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT) on the grass May 25.
With Victor Espinoza riding for trainer Christophe Clement, Hard Not to Like, third in her previous start in the April 11 Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland, skimmed the rail to get up late to nail front-running Fanticola, who grabbed the lead at the start. Blingismything finished third, with Elektrum fourth.
Hard Not to Like covered the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.87.
Hard Not to Like, a 6-year-old mare by Hard Spun out of the Tactical Cat mare Like a Gem, was bred in Ontario by Garland Williamson. The Gamely marks the second grade I win for Hard Not to Like, who won the 2014 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.
Fanticola, never worse than third in four starts on the Santa Anita turf, grabbed the early lead under Joe Talamo and rated beautifully through fractions of :24.53 for the opening quarter-mile, :48.99 for the half-mile, and 1:13.20 for six furlongs while not pressed. Approaching the top of the lane, Blingismything who sat in second behind Fanticola for most of the way, ranged up to challenge the leader as a host of others attempted to make up ground after one mile in 1:37.73.
The only competitor who could do that was Hard Not to Like, who found a seam along the rail under Espinoza and charged home to collar Fanticola late.
Hard Not to Like paid $9.20, $5.40, and $4.40 across the board as the second choice in a 10-horse field. Fanticola returned $8.20 and $5.60, while Blingismything paid $8.80 to show.
Danza Cavallo, the 3-2 favorite off of a victory in allowance company at Keeneland in her first start of 2015, finished an even fifth.
"When she broke and crossed the dirt everyone was going a different direction so I dropped her all the way down to the rail," Espinoza said. "I was going to stay there and if it opened up, it opened. In the stretch when I saw the rider in front of me switch his stick to his left hand I knew that normally a horse will drift out a little. I knew it was my chance and that's how I got through on the inside."
Lee Vickers, assistant to Clement, said the opening along the rail made all the difference.
"I thought she always looked the winner, but I thought she was going to be the unluckiest loser of the day," Vickers said. "That was a brilliant ride, but the man's on fire and he rode with confidence. That's all I can say."
Co-owner Peter Fluor said the partnership has two horses, but only Hard Not to Like is competing. Speedway purchased the mare for $1.5 million at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
"She's our first winner," Fluor said. "It's just the beginning. We got her last fall in the November sale and it's hard not to like that decision right now."
Hard Not to Like won for the seventh time in 19 career starts. Before her third-place finish in this year's Jenny Wiley, she crossed the line first in the grade III Endeavour Stakes on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs but was disqualified and placed second in her first start of the year. Before that she hadn't raced since her victory in 2014 Jenny Wiley.