LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Tapwater, a huge second in her lone hillside start, will hope to be rolling late as she heads a field of six older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
A huge second, beaten a head in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes on Jan. 9, Tapwater, who is trained by Richard Mandella, didn't have the same late kick when finishing fifth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the restricted Wishing Well Stakes which was run at 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute on Feb. 26.
Second beaten a head by Zero Tolerance in the Las Cienegas, Tapwater and Joe Bravo surged late to just miss while galloping out well in front of the field. With Bravo back aboard, Tapwater's connections are hoping for a similar run as the LNJ Foxwoods' homebred seeks her first stakes win.
A 6-year-old mare by Tapit out of the Indian Charlie mare Fiji Moon, Tapwater, who earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the Las Cienegas, is 17-3-4-3 with earnings of $222,714.
In sharp recent form at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, trainer Eddie Kenneally's Brooke Marie rallied from off the pace to take an ungraded stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on turf two starts back on Dec. 4 and she was most recently an even third, beaten 3 ¾ lengths in another ungraded stakes at the same distance on Jan. 29.
Versatile, the 6-year-old Lemon Drop Kid mare was a front-running winner of a classified allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on turf three starts back at Keeneland Oct. 28 and dating back to April 17 of last year, she's won three out of her last four starts, all at 5 ½ furlongs on grass.
Owned by Castleton Lyons, Brooke Marie's most recent work, a half-mile in :47.40 at Keeneland on March 31, was her fifth since her last start on Jan. 29. With an overall mark of 14-5-3-2 and earnings of $288,730, she'll be seeking her first graded win in the Monrovia in what will be her first-ever start in California.
Phil D'Amato has a talented California-bred in Nick Alexander's homebred Alice Marble, who was second to her multiple stakes winning stablemate Leggs Galore in her only try down the hill, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint two starts back on Jan. 15. Head and head for the early lead, the 5-year-old mare by Grazen went on to prevail by a half-length in the Wishing Well Feb. 26 and rates an upset chance as she seeks her first graded win in the Monrovia with Edwin Maldonado riding back.
Out of the More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, Alice Marble is 9-4-1-1 with earnings of $221,180.
Brian Lynch ships west from South Florida with 4-year-old filly Tobys Heart, a three-time ungraded stakes winner who has raced exclusively on turf in all 10 of her starts. Most recently eighth, beaten 4 ½ lengths in an ungraded stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park, Tobys Heart has seven works at Palm Meadows Training Center dating back to Feb. 8, with her most recent a five-furlong drill in 1:01.60 on April 1.
A Kentucky-bred by the War Front stallion Jack Milton, out of the Lil's Lad mare Pick of the Pack, Tobys Heart is a three-time stakes winner sprinting, and she was also a first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at age two at Churchill Downs. Easily the leading money earner in the field with $503,250, Tobys Heart is 10-4-1-1 overall.
GRADE II, $200,000 MONROVIA STAKES
WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 1 of 12 Post time 12 noon PT
- Alice Marble—Edwin Maldonado—120
- Tobys Heart—John Velazquez—120
- Brooke Marie—Juan Hernandez—120
- Cover Version—Kyle Frey–120
- Tapwater—Joe Bravo—120
- Royal Address—Drayden Van Dyke–120
Special early first post time on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day Saturday is at 12 noon with admission gates open at 10 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
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