Hillside turf course specialist Amy C will look to bag her second graded stakes win of the Classic Meet when she takes on 10 rivals over Santa Anita's unique layout in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, Amy C has won two straight and is a perfect 3-for-3 on the hillside turf course. Her wins down the hill include most recently the G3 Las Cienegas on Jan. 2 and the Senator Ken Maddy last October during the Autumn Meet.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli has been aboard for all three of Amy C's win down the hill and will again be in the irons Saturday. Bred in England, Amy C is a 5-year-old mare by Charming Thought. She made her first two starts in France before moving to trainer Chad Brown in New York where she was a one-time allowance winner.
Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta, Amy C has banked $248,385 with a record of 5-1-0 in 10 starts.
Also exiting a stakes win down the hill is Freedom Flyer, who pulled a 7-1 upset under Frankie Dettori in the restricted Wishing Well on Feb. 18. She went gate to wire to win by a neck over Big Summer, who also returns in the Monrovia for trainer Carla Gaines.
Freedom Flyer will again have Dettori up Saturday. Trained by Leonard Powell and owned by Marsha Naify, the 5-year-old Constitution mare has a record of 21-4-5-4 with earnings of $272,120.
Graded winners Leggs Galore and Canoodling each return from layoffs for their seasonal bows. With a record of 9-3-1 in 18 starts, California-bred Leggs Galore has been a consistent performer for D'Amato and owner-breeder William J. Sims. She has not started since a close-up second in the Oct. 15 California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course.
Leggs Galore, a 6-year-old Bayern mare, has a bankroll of $694,548. She will have regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez in the stirrups.
Canoodling has not started since a fourth-place finish last May in the G1 Gamely going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. Trained by Mike Puype, Canoodling also has a nose for the wire with a record of 8-1-2 in 17 starts. Her biggest wins were last year at Santa Anita in the G3 Wilshire and G3 Megahertz.
Owned by B4 Farms LLC, Canoodling is a 5-year-old mare by Pioneerof the Nile. She will have Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.
Also entered are Kirstenbosch and Awake At Midnyte, who are both exiting the G1 Beholder Mile on the main track here March 11.
Kirstenbosch was fifth in the Beholder Mile one start after winning the G3 La Canada at 1 1/16 miles on the main track here Jan. 15. She broke her maiden on turf going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita last April, but has never navigated the hillside turf course.
Kirstenbosch is a 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly for owner-breeder Keith Abraham and trainer John Sadler. Jockey Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for her last three starts, again has the call on Saturday.
Awake At Midnyte was sixth in the Beholder Mile for trainer Doug O'Neill. She has one previous start on turf, a second in the 2021 G3 Jimmy Durante going a mile at Del Mar. Awake at Midnyte is a 4-year-old Nyquist filly owned by Reddam Racing. She will have regular rider Mario Gutierrez in the saddle.
THE GRADE 3 MONROVIA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 10 of 12 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
- Elm Drive—Ramon Vazquez—124
- Awake at Midnyte—Mario Gutierrez—120
- Canoodling—Juan Hernandez—124
- Tom's Beauty—Hector Berrios—120
- Stella Noir—Kent Desormeaux—120
- Kirstenbosch—Kazushi Kimura—124
- One Silk Stocking—John Velazquez—120
- Amy C—Umberto Ripoli—124
- Big Summer—Joe Bravo—122
- Leggs Galore—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
- Freedom Flyer—Frankie Dettori—122
First post time for a 12 – race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.
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