Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine continued her brilliant ways Aug. 8 with a seven-length victory in the $291,000 Longines Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
The 3-year-old Into Mischief filly entered the seven-furlong test off an 18 3/4-length romp in record time in the June 20 Longines Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and was geared down at the wire Saturday by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. She stopped the clock in a swift 1:20.83, equaling the stakes record set in 2003 by Lady Tak and blitzing the 1:21.63 run earlier on the card by Serengeti Empress in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares.
Though many were hoping the Bob Baffert trainee would tackle the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) against males after her tour de force in the one-mile Acorn, her connections have remained steadfast in their pursuit of the Sept. 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), to which she'll carry three wins from just four starts.
Gamine has never been headed but was disqualified from a May 2 allowance-level win at Oaklawn Park for a failed post-race drug test for the local anesthetic lidocaine, specifically 3-hydroxylidocaine. Her connections are appealing that disqualification and a 15-day suspension for Baffert.
"She's rising straight to the top," Baffert's assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said of the $1.8 million sale-topper from last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. "For what she's accomplished so far for such a lightly raced filly, we look forward to stretching her out and seeing what comes of that."
In command from start to finish, Gamine broke clean from post 4 and immediately assumed control. She clicked through fractions of :22.70, :45.14, and 1:08.64 with Venetian Harbor pressing along to her outside.
Neither Gamine nor Venetian Harbor had been asked for their best as the field turned for home, but as soon as the race began in earnest at the top of the stretch, it was practically over. Velazquez simply nudged Gamine forward, and the filly opened a daylight lead in a matter of strides that she continued to add to for the duration of the stretch.
"Obviously, she's very good. You love to be on these kinds of horses," Velazquez said. "I have to thank Bob and the owners for the opportunity. Bob said she breaks well and to kind of let her do her thing. If another horse wants to go too fast, we just let her sit second and she'll be fine sitting second.
"But she broke so good, and (Venetian Harbor) kind of stayed right next to me and didn't press the pace very much, so I just kind of let her do what she wanted to do the first quarter-mile. Once we got to the turn, I let her get into the turn and she got really comfortable and really smooth and got away from the other horse and kept going. Very nice."
Venetian Harbor held for second, and Up in Smoke closed to get third. Perfect Alibi and Mrs. Danvers completed the order of finish. Wicked Whisper was scratched.
It was the third consecutive runner-up finish for Venetian Harbor, who also finished second last out in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
"She's super fast," Joel Rosario said of Venetian Harbor, who turned back in distance for the Test after a steady diet of two-turn racing. "She broke running fast and (Gamine) did, too. I just tried to sit off her. She ran a tremendous race, but the winner was just very impressive."
Sent off as the odds-on favorite for the fourth time in her career, Gamine returned $2.60 on a $2 win wager. Her earnings now stand at $363,000. Purchased from Bobby Dodd's consignment by Donato Lanni on Petersen's behalf, she was bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings and is the third foal out of the stakes-placed Kafwain mare Peggy Jane, who has produced one other winner. The mare has a Speightstown 2-year-old named Splashtown, a Ghostzapper yearling, and a 2020 foal by Kantharos . She was bred back to Into Mischief for 2021.
