Auriette Goes to the Front, Wins Gamely Handicap

Trainer Marty Jones made the wrong decision.

Rather than stay at Hollywood Park and saddle Auriette in the $214,600 Gamely Handicap, he went to New York with Ski Dancer, a participant in Sunday’s Just A Game Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

While Ski Dancer went nowhere in the one-mile race, Auriette provided Gary Jones’ 24-year-old son with his biggest victory since his father retired at the end of Santa Anita.

Showing her consecutive victories across town weren’t a fluke, the 4-year-old Caerleon filly went right to the front under Kent Desormeaux and improved her position from there.

At the end of the 1 1/8 miles on turf, the 5-2 second choice in the field of six had 2 1/4 lengths on 19-1 shot Flagbird and completed the trip in 1:46 2/5.

A winner of only one of seven last year, Auriette is perfect in three tries this year and has to rank among the best females in the nation on the turf.

“What’s gotten into her?” Desormeaux said. “I just said the same thing. She has gotten just phenomenal. I was very surprised to find myself on an uncontested lead. I thought there would be plenty of pace, but it didn’t matter. She could have been fifth, third or in front. I don’t think it would have mattered today.”

Pharma, the winner of last month’s Wilshire, was closest to Auriette early, but she faded through the stretch and checked in fifth as the 2-1 choice.

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Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Goncalino Almeida, who broke both legs in a Jan. 20 spill at Santa Anita, hopes to be back riding by the end of the week after working his first horse Sunday. Almeida, 40, was on Dinner And Dancing, who broke down and fell while running on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. . . . With Gary Stevens sidelined because of pending shoulder surgery, Corey Nakatani has picked up the mount on Soul Of The Matter for the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30.