Saturday, May 1, 2021
Gamine's victory in Saturday's $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) not only made the champion filly a millionaire, but also gave Bob Baffert a record 220th Grade 1 winner.
Fittingly it was Gamine who gave her trainer the record. The Champion Female Sprinter of 2020, Gamine's win avenged her only loss to date in last year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) over this same Churchill Downs surface.
The Derby City didn't begin well for Gamine after she slipped and stumbled as the gates opened. She quickly recovered though, and had a one-length lead after a quarter-mile in :23.15. Around the turn she held the margin as the pace quickened. Into the stretch, Gamine continued to lead, with Sconsin mounting a challenge late, but getting no closer than 1 1/2-lengths at the wire.
The final time was 1:21.50 for the seven furlongs on a fast track.
“I didn’t know I was that close to the record until a month ago,” said Baffert when asked about the Grade 1 wins. “To do it here on this big day is very special. I’m just happy for Gamine. She got the job done. I told Johnny (Velazquez) that this was the first time she’s run before a crowd. She was looking around. So many things can go wrong but once I saw her down the backside, I knew we were in the clear.”
Gamine, who is owned by Michael Lund Petersen, is now a four-time Grade 1 winner of $1,286,500.