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Illuminant holds on in Gamely Stakes
- Updated: May 30, 2016
10:43 PM ET
ARCADIA, Calif. — Illuminant led the field in Monday’s $301,035 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita by a half-length with a furlong to go, a point in the race at which her trainer, Michael McCarthy, was trying to watch his filly and the chasing pack.
McCarthy was concerned that the heavily favorite Wekeela, ridden by Javier Castellano, would launch a rally and catch Illuminant late in the Grade 1 race at 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares.
“I kept looking for Javier,” McCarthy said. “I kept looking at my filly, and she was inching away.”
Illuminant had the advantage and the momentum in the final sixteenth, maintaining her lead for her first stakes win. Illuminant ($12.40) was timed in 1:48.34 and gave jockey Flavien Prat his 12th win in 37 mounts on turf at the current spring-summer meeting. The meeting began May 5.
Illuminant holds on to win Monday’s Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Benoit Photo
Prat kept Illuminant near the lead throughout, a factor he credited for the win. Fanticola, a 7-1 shot, led for the first six furlongs, with Illuminant racing in second, within 1 …
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