Fanticola the one to catch in Gamely

Little separated Gamely contenders Queen of the Sand (outside) and Fanticola (inside) in the Santa Barbara (Benoit Photos) Queen of the Sand (Footstepsinthesand) nipped long-time leader Fanticola (Silent Name) by a nose in last month’s Santa Barbara H. (G3) over 1 1/4 miles, but might have a more difficult time doing it again over a furlong shorter in Monday’s $300,000 Gamely (G1) at Santa Anita. The Santa Barbara was the first graded stakes win for Queen of the Sand, who notably finished second in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar in November. Out of action until mid-March, she looked a bit short when finishing eighth of nine in the Santa Ana (G2) in her season debut. Fanticola just missed giving her connections an emotional victory in the Santa Barbara, which occurred the same week as the death of her former trainer, Mike Mitchell. The stakes-winning five-year-old has won or placed in her last five outings, and on paper looks poised to try and lead wire-to-wire. Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun) invades from New York for trainer Christophe Clement. Upset winner of the Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland in April 2014, she was most recently third in her title defense of that race April 11. She began the year at Tampa Bay Downs on the last day of January, when she was demoted from first to second in the Endeavour (G3).

Also racing for the first time on this circuit are Danza Cavallo (Sunday
Break), runner-up in the Long Island H. (G3) and first in a Keeneland allowance
last month in two U.S. outings for Chad Brown, and Generosidade (Nedawi), a
Group 1 winner in Brazil, who placed in one of three outings in France last
year.

Also expected to garner support are Blingismything (Arch) and Smoove It
(Square Eddie), who were separated by a nose at the finish of the one-mile
Wilshire (G3) on April 26, and Three Hearts (Hat Trick), the Red Carpet H. (G3)
heroine who subsequently placed in the Robert J. Frankel (G3), Santa Ana, and
Santa Barbara.

Moulin de Mougin (Curlin), who captured the John C. Mabee (G2) at Del Mar
last summer, fell when near the back of the field in the Rodeo Drive (G1) in
September, and then was no factor against males in the $82,000 Thunder Road over
a mile April 4. Also lining up is Elektrum (High Chaparral), who prevailed by a
half-length against second-level allowance company April 5 after narrow defeats
against similar in her first two U.S. appearances.

The supporting feature on the Memorial Day program is the $100,000
Los
Angeles, a six-furlong dash for older horses. Leading contenders include San
Carlos (G2) winner Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir), Kona Gold (G2) runner-up San Onofre
(Surf Cat), Midnight Lute (G3) and Joe Hernandez victor Distinctiv Passion (With
Distinction), and the Bob Baffert-trained Five Palms (Unbridled’s Song), who has
won three of four starts.

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