Closing Remarks aims to fill gap on résumé in Megahertz
Closing Remarks is a Grade 1-placed stakes winner who in 15 starts has only twice finished out of the superfecta for trainer Carla Gaines. While it’s no doubt been a productive three seasons on the track for the Harris Farms’ homebred, one notable omission remains on the resume of the 5-year-old Vronsky mare: a win at the graded stakes level.
On Saturday, Closing Remarks will get another crack at that elusive milestone when she makes her second start off the layoff in the Grade 3 Megahertz going a mile on turf. She is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line in a field of eight.
The Megahertz will be Closing Remark’s 10th start in a graded stakes. As a 3-year-old, she finished runner-up in the Del Mar Oaks (G1), the Providencia (G3) and the Senorita (G3). Then last year it was more of the same in four starts. After winning a first condition allowance at Santa Anita, she proceeded to help fill the superfecta in the Buena Vista (G2), when she finished third, the Santa Ana (G3) (fourth) and the Robert J. Frankel (G3) (second) on Dec. 31. In the Frankel going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on New Year’s Eve, she was second-best to the top turf filly Queen Goddess.
“It’s been very frustrating,” Gaines said of Closing Remark’s near misses in graded stakes.
In the Frankel following nine months on the sidelines, Closing Remarks stalked a loose-on-the-lead Queen Goddess throughout before crossing the wire, 2 1/4 lengths adrift of that rival. Last Saturday, Queen Goddess returned to win the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
“That’s a good sign,” Gaines noted.
Closing Remarks has worked three times since the Frankel including a bullet four-furlong move in 46.60 seconds last Saturday. Now having a recent race under her belt, Gaines is expecting a move forward on Saturday.
“It wasn’t like I was necessarily planning to run her a mile-and-an-eighth off the layoff but she was ready to go and we tried it,” Gaines said. “She has come back with a really sharp work for this race. We’re trying to get her on the muscle a little bit.”
Gaines added that fast work should also help with the turnback in distance to a mile.
“Hopefully that will put a little more pizzazz in her step. I don’t think the cutback will be problem,” Gaines said. “There’s a lot of speed in there and hopefully it sets up well for her.”
Closing Remarks, whose lone stakes win came in the 2021 California Cup Oaks, has a record of 15:3-5-2 and earnings of $398,820. The Megahertz goes as the fourth race Saturday with an approximate post time of 1:30 p.m. PST (4:30 EST).