Lady Eli, alive and kicking, wins Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita

As the fabulous filly Lady Eli sank closer to death, Cherie DeVaux all but became her roommate. The assistant trainer to Chad Brown provided around-the-clock care and companionship in the stall of a thoroughbred afflicted with the potentially fatal hoof disease laminitis.

For Lady Eli’s connections, the Fourth of July two years ago had offered a dramatic display of gravity’s pull of emotions. Spirits soared when she remained unbeaten through six races with a Grade 1 stakes win at Belmont Park, then plunged when a nail was found in her foot after the stroll back to the barn.

The metal intruder apparently triggered the illness that kept Lady Eli away from the track for nearly 14 months.

Competing was the least of the camp’s concerns for a while. “You just wanted her to be alive,” co-owner Jay Hanley said Saturday. “There was no chance then of her racing again. It was just about trying to save her life.”

Recovering was one thing, regaining her prominence quite another. Both accomplishments were exhibited at Santa Anita as Lady Eli lassoed pacesetter Avenge in the stretch of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes to win by half a length.

The feat in Lady Eli’s fourth start since the extended layoff was honeysuckle sweet for DeVaux. Brown is juggling several balls at his base in New York, one of which is deciding whether to enter his Preakness champion Cloud Computing in the Belmont Stakes. So he dispatched DeVaux out west, turning over Lady Eli’s duties entirely to his aide for the first time.

Not even saddling a horse for the Kentucky Derby has stirred up such feelings within DeVaux, 35. She spent the past week at the track with Lady Eli — though not 24/7, as before — and realizing the improbability of a revived racing career brought some poignancy to the paddock scene.

“I was there [with Lady Eli] from the beginning,” she said. “This is the most emotional I’ve ever gotten with any horse.”

Those feelings resurfaced in the winner’s circle as DeVaux choked up. “Her tenacity,” the trainer said after collecting herself, “is what makes her great.”

Lady Eli also has delighted legions of bettors, having won eight of 11 times while being backed on seven occasions as an odds-on favorite. (Saturday was no exception, with a measly win payout of $3.20). She was runner-up in the other three outings, beaten by about a single length combined.

The winner’s share hiked her earnings to just over $2.4 million. The owners regard the latest sweep of purses as a bonus, given the unlikelihood of Lady Eli racing again.

“You show me another horse who’s come back from laminitis and won two Grade 1 stakes,” Hanley said. “It is all gravy. We’re playing with house money here. She’s amazing, absolutely amazing.”

Now the team can plan on a second consecutive appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. (She was second at Santa Anita last year to Queen’s Trust.) It sure beats planning last rites.

The card’s other principal winner also bounced back from adversity, though of a far less grievous nature.

Cupid suffered a mild cut before a race April 22 at Santa Anita and was scratched. Trainer Bob Baffert did not hesitate entering him Saturday in the Gold Cup after eight idled months.

Asked to define his M.O. for successfully prepping horses emerging from considerable time off, he said, “They have to be really good.”

Cupid handed Baffert his sixth Gold Cup triumph, taking down the Baffert-trained American Freedom and five others.

Baffert feared that American Freedom might get ensnared in an overly fast pace — “I was trying a little bit of a Hail Mary with him” — and the favorite faded to sixth. Cupid set sail at odds of 7-to-1, fourth highest in the field.

On an afternoon bejeweled with four stakes races, a peculiarity with a maiden event drew some attention.

Sonneteer, last seen finishing 16th in the Kentucky Derby, took a deep dive back to the maiden level. Sent off as the favorite with a purse of $54,000 (less than 3% of the Derby amount) on the line, Sonneteer wound up fourth, leaving him 0 for 12 lifetime.

sports@latimes.com