Amapola goes out a winner in Incredible Revenge Stakes

On Saturday at Monmouth Park, Amapola scored the easiest of wins in the $75,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes. The race may be her last.

Amapola is owned by the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who purchased her after she was disqualified from a 9 3/4-length debut victory at Gulfstream Park in May 2016. Her career was interrupted by a 17-month layoff, but she has now won three of her last four starts. The Incredible Revenge is her first stakes win.

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Amapola’s racing days are coming to a close because she is in foal to Divining Rod, whom the Jacksons raced. Divining Rod won the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland and the Polynesian at Laurel Park and finished second by a head to Connect in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Divining Rod stood his first season at stud in 2018 for $5,000 at Country Life Farm in Maryland.

Amapola is trained by Arnaud Delacour, who also conditioned Divining Rod.

“She’s about four months pregnant,” Delacour said. “According to the vet, this is the last month she should probably race.”

The Incredible Revenge, a 5 1/2-furlong race, was switched from turf to the main track after two races were run over the course early on the card. The eight-horse field had two early scratches and another two after the surface switch.

“I was actually happy when they switched this to the main track,” Delacour said. “I think it gives her a little bit of an edge on the dirt. She’s a very fast filly, and at 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt, I was confident she would run well.”

Well Acquainted, Unaquoi, and Amapola stacked up on the lead, with Amapola three wide. She readily took the lead on the far turn, then pulled away in the stretch to score by 5 1/2 lengths with Paco Lopez sitting still in the saddle.

The Incredible Revenge was the fourth of Lopez’s five wins Saturday.

“After three furlongs, I let her go, and she took off,” Lopez said. “She was the best filly in the race, no doubt about it. She has a lot of talent.”

Amapola paid $3 as the favorite and was timed in 1:03.83 over a fast main track.

Well Acquainted bested Unaquoi by three-quarters of a length for second. It was a length farther back to 2-1 second choice Always Thinking in fourth.