Tag: golden principal

Swiss Skydiver Returns to Arcadia for Beholder Mile

Champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) crushed her competition on her last trip to the west coast for the GII Santa Anita Oaks last spring and looks to repeat that performance Saturday when she returns to Santa Anita for the GI Beholder Mile. Capturing the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and GIII Fantasy S. prior to the Santa Anita Oaks last term, the chestnut took on males next out in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, finishing a respectable second to Art Collector (Bernardini). Returning to winning ways next out in Saratoga's 10-panel GI Alabama S. Aug. 15, the $35,000 KEESEP buy checked in second to GII Azeri S.-bound Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4.

Trainer Ken McPeek felt confident enough in his charge to try her against males again in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and she delivered with a gritty defeat of GI Kentucky Derby hero and eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). Swiss Skydiver completed 2020 with a disappointing and surprising seventh behind two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, but had already done more than enough to secure the Eclipse for top 3-year-old filly. She has been working well leading up to this seasonal bow, most recently breezing a best-of-39 five panels in :58 flat at Gulfstream Mar. 6.

Her biggest competition is likely to come from MGSW Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo). Graduating at second asking when switched to the dirt in July, she scored a decisive optional claimer victory next out at Del Mar three weeks later and captured the GIII Torrey Pines S. there in August. Winning the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sept. 27, the bay checked in fourth last out in the Distaff.

Bob Baffert saddles two in this event in As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Golden Principal (Constitution). Out of MGISW and blue hen Take Charge Lady (Dehere), As Time Goes By graduated at third asking going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 13 and romped by nine lengths next out over track and trip Jan. 17. Capturing a Del Mar optional claimer at this distance Nov. 27, Golden Principal completed the exacta in both the Dec. 26 GI La Brea S. and the Feb. 133 GII Santa Monica S.

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Merneith Leads 1-2-3 Baffert Finish In Santa Monica Stakes

Ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, longshot Merneith broke running from the rail and took eight rivals gate to wire at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., winning Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths while keying a Bob Baffert trifecta.  A 4-year-old daughter of Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Merneith got seven furlongs in 1:22.28.

Quick from the blocks but under a snug hold head and head with stablemate Golden Principal, Merneith was set down three-sixteenths of a mile from home and quickly spurted clear in a no-doubt-about-it effort as Golden Principal and Qahira completed the Baffert tri.

“I had five fillies for the race and I ended up with three and I needed a rider,” said Baffert when asked how it was that Maldonado was named to ride.  “The one thing about Edwin is he's probably one the best speed gate riders there is.  This filly, every time I run her, I expect to win and she gets beat…I've been really surprised she hadn't done what (she did) today and she showed it.  I'm just really happy for him.  He did a fantastic job getting her out of the gate, she relaxed.

“She looks like American Pharoah to me.  When she came in, she looked almost like a spitting image of him.  I'm glad they (American Pharoah's progeny) are starting to run now…The (owner) in Dubai, I was telling him how high I was on this filly.  Today is the day she finally showed what she has and that was a pretty tough field of horses that she beat.  To win one-two-three, it was nice cheering down the lane.”

Third, beaten 3 ¾ lengths versus sophomore fillies in the G1, seven-furlong La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26, Merneith was off at 9-1 and paid $20.40, $9.20 and $5.80.

“I'm just so happy, it's another dream of mine to win for Bob Baffert,” said Maldonado.  “It took awhile, but we got it done. … At first she broke good, I looked over and I see Mike Smith (aboard Golden Principal) and he was right next to me and I'm like 'Oh, what do I do?  Should I let him go or no?'  But it worked out good, Mike stayed off of me and we both relaxed.  Going into the race, Bob was telling me she was doing good and had good works.”

Owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Merneith, who is out of the Flatter mare Flattermewithroses, Merneith registered her first graded stakes win and improved her overall mark to 10-4-3-2.  With the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $357,900.

Second in the La Brea, Golden Principal was again second best today, finishing 2 ¼ lengths clear of Qahira.  Off at 5-1, Golden Principal paid $6.80 and $4.60.

Forwardly placed throughout, Qahira finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of Biddy Duke.  Ridden by Joel Rosario, Qahira was off at 3-1 and paid $4.20 to show.

Prominent disappointments in the race were last year's winner, Hard Not to Love, who went off as the 2-1 favorite, and the La Brea winner Fair Maiden, both of whom never threatened and finished seventh and eighth respectively.

Fractions on the Santa Monica were 22.64, 45.34 and 1:09.61.

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Fair Maiden Makes 2021 Bow in Santa Monica

Fair Maiden (Street Boss), last seen scoring a breakthrough win in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26, makes her seasonal bow Saturday in the GII Santa Monica S. in Arcadia. Running on synthetic and turf during her five-race juvenile campaign, including a black-type score at Woodbine, the Godolphin homebred kicked off 2020 with a convincing optional claimer score in her first try on dirt at Churchill in September. Fourth to the re-opposing Merneith (American Pharoah) next out in Keeneland's Qatar Fort Springs S. Nov. 7, the chestnut rallied four wide for a decisive victory in the La Brea, finishing 2 1/4 lengths clear of Golden Principal (Constitution).

Merneith and Golden Principal make up two-thirds of the Bob Baffert contingent in this event. Merneith beat Golden Principal by 3 1/4 lengths in a six-panel optional claimer at Santa Anita Oct. 11 prior to her Keeneland victory and was third in the La Brea. In between that Oct. 11 test and the La Brea, Golden Principal captured a one-mile optional claimer at Del Mar Nov. 27. Rounding out the Baffert trio is Qahira (Cairo Prince). Run down late and forced to settle for second in the local GIII Chillingworth S. in September, the bay won the Kalookian Queen S. here last time Jan. 10.

Grade I winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) looks to defend her title after taking last year's renewal of this test. The 'TDN Rising Star' has been winless since, but did place four graded events last term, most recently finishing third in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 9.

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Fair Maiden Out To Prove She’s No Fluke In Santa Monica

A longshot winner of the opening day Grade 1 La Brea Stakes, trainer Eoin Harty's Fair Maiden will seek to validate that victory as she heads a solid field of 12 older fillies and mares going seven furlongs in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita.

Dismissed at 20-1 in the Dec. 26 La Brea, Fair Maiden rallied for an emphatic 2 ¼ length win, as a pair of Bob Baffert fillies, Golden Principal and Merneith, ran second and third. Harty, a former assistant to Baffert, will have to again contend with those two plus yet another Baffert runner, Qahira.

Last year's winner as the 3-5 favorite, Hard Not to Love, has been winless in her last five races, all routes, and will try to rebound for John Shirreffs with the first time services of leading rider Juan Hernandez.

A 4-year-old filly by Street Sense, Godolphin, LLC's homebred Fair Maiden settled nicely when ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez and she was able to exploit fast fractions of 21.80, 44.40 and 1:09.80 en route to a final clocking of 1:22.60 and a career-best 92 Beyer Speed figure. The win also provided Gonzalez, who shifted his tack from Golden Gate Fields to Southern California last year, with his first-ever Grade 1 win.

“I've been watching Ricky ride since he came down here and I think he's the next superstar,” said Harty following the La Brea. “He's brave and he puts his horse in a spot to win. I grab him every time I can because I think he's a world class rider…”

With four wins from eight career starts, Fair Maiden, along with six others, will be facing older mares for the first time.

As is seemingly always the case, Baffert holds a very strong hand on Saturday. Golden Principal, who was off at 12-1 in the La Brea, finished 1 ½ lengths clear of her stablemate Merneith while neither were any match for Fair Maiden.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Golden Principal, a 4-year-old filly by Constitution, appears to be on the improve and will likely stalk the early pace with regular rider Mike Smith up.

Ridden by John Velazquez in the La Brea, Merneith will be ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, who is regarded as an outstanding gate rider, making it likely that she'll blast off from the rail and try to take the field gate to wire. A 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah, Merneith, who was off at 7-2 in the La Brea, is owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud and has an overall mark of 9-3-3-2.

Quick from the blocks, Baffert's Qahira, a one length winner as the 3-2 favorite of the ungraded Kalookan Queen Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs on Jan. 10, has won five of her eight starts. With Joel Rosario back aboard, Qahira, who is owned by Baoma Corporation, has one win from two tries at seven furlongs and looms extremely dangerous as she shoots for her first graded stakes win.

Third, beaten six lengths in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on Jan. 9, Hard Not to Love has two wins from three tries at seven furlongs, including last year's Santa Monica. Quite often temperamental as a result of the fact she races with one eye, Shirreffs is hoping Juan Hernandez can provide the Midas-touch as she gets back to sprinting for the first time since Feb. 15 of last year.

A 5-year-old Ontario-Canadian-bred mare by Hard Spun, the appropriately named Hard Not to Love is owned by Mercedes Stables, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy and David Ingordo and Steve Mooney. With an overall mark of 11-5-3-2, Hard Not to Love, who also won last year's Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs, has earnings of $592,980.

Lending further depth to a quality field is Richard Mandella's Amuse, who was second, beaten one length by Qahira in the Jan. 10 Kalookan Queen. A 6-year-old mare by Medaglia d'Oro, Amuse has two wins from 11 starts and seeks her first graded stakes win for owners Bass Racing, LLC, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

THE GRADE 2 SANTA MONICA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Merneith—Edwin Maldonado—120
  2. Miss Stormy D—Tyler Baze—120
  3. Fair Maiden—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
  4. Hard Not to Love—Juan Hernandez—120
  5. Qahira—Joel Rosario—120
  6. Golden Principal—Mike Smith—120
  7. Secret Keeper—Abel Cedillo—120
  8. Amuse—Drayden Van Dyke—120
  9. Proud Emma—Geovanni Franco—122
  10. Pharoah's Heart—Jessica Pyfer—120
  11. Biddy Duke—Umberto Rispoli—122
  12. Bohemian Bourbon—Flavien Prat–120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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