Enola Gray Passes Two-Turn Test in Melair

Stepping up into stakes competition off a standout debut score, Nick Alexander's homebred Enola Gray didn't disappoint in the $200,000 Melair Stakes May 28 at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old daughter of Grazen trained by Phil D'Amato broke from the rail and took command early in the 1 1/16-mile dirt test for California-bred or -sired 3-year-old fillies—her first try at two turns—and was never seriously challenged en route to a 2 1/4-length victory under jockey Tyler Baze. 

D'Amato stablemate Allsquare, the longest shot on the board at 29-1, followed Enola Gray all the way around the racetrack in second, but never made serious inroads.

"She did it in hand, I thought," D'Amato said. "Tyler rode her very confidently and we did what we needed to do. It was her first time long, so we tackled that hurdle and we'll figure out where we go from here now.

Enola Gray, who won her 6 1/2-furlong debut April 10 by 16 1/4 lengths, went off at 1-9 and ticked off fractions of :23.97, :47.72, and 1:11.88 through six furlongs, ran a mile in 1:36.26, and finished off the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.64.

"That day was just amazing. I looked back at the eighth pole and there wasn't anybody near me," Baze said of her debut. "Today it was about seeing if she could go the mile and a sixteenth and it was about getting her out there, getting her to relax and take some breaths.

"She did. She learns so fast and she only continues to get better."

The winner paid $2.20, $2.10, and $2.10 across the board. With $346,016 of the $388,932 show pool wagered on Enola Gray, Santa Anita and other wagering interests lost $64,492 on the negative show pool.

Out of the More Than Ready   mare Unsung Heroine, Enola Gray has $143,600 in earnings to go along with her undefeated record.

Also on the "California Gold Rush" card, jockey Flavien Prat completed a stakes double in the $100,000 Lennyfrommalibu with Pamela Ziebarth homebred Ambitious Brew  and the $200,000 Snow Chief with John Parker homebred Gold Rush Dancer, who edged grade I winner Ralis by a nose in the 1 1/8-mile grass race. 

In the $150,000 Tiznow Stakes, the Doug O'Neill-trained Avanti Bello provided the only significant upset of the five stakes races when scoring at 13-1 in the mile dirt race for 4-year-olds and up. 

Oakcrest Stables homebred Bert's Melody finished off the stakes slate with a victory in the $125,000 Fran's Valentine. It was the Bertrando mare's first stakes victory, but she is now three-for-three in one-mile grass races at Santa Anita.