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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

Merneith—Edwin Maldonado—120
Miss Stormy D—Tyler Baze—120
Fair Maiden—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
Hard Not to Love—Juan Hernandez—120
Qahira—Joel Rosario—120
Golden Principal—Mike Smith—120
Secret Keeper—Abel Cedillo—120
Amuse—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Proud Emma—Geovanni Franco—122
Pharoah's Heart—Jessica Pyfer—120
Biddy Duke—Umberto Rispoli—122
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.

The post Fair Maiden Out To Prove She’s No Fluke In Santa Monica appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chilean-Bred Sanenus Makes Early Move A Winning One In La Canada

Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, Chilean-bred Sanenus made what appeared to be a premature move, but instead, the race was over early, as she took command around the far turn en route to an impressive six-length win in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by Michael McCarthy for owner/breeder Matriarca, Sanenus got 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.44.

Third, just a half length off of dueling leaders Fighting Mad and Hard Not to Love down the backstretch, Rispoli decided to press the issue heading to the half-mile pole and was large and in charge mid-way around the far turn.

“I've been on her several times in the morning,” said Rispoli. “I knew she was a very good filly. Today, I asked her a bit at the half-mile pole and she responded well. At the top of the stretch, she was looking around and I was just hoping she was going to stay focused. She finished well and I think she has more there.”

A Group 1 winner at age three in her native Chile, Sanenus was most recently third in the G3 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 21 and was off at 7-1 today in a field of seven older fillies and mares, returning $17.00, $8.20 and $4.60.

The La Canada marked the first stateside win in her fourth try for McCarthy and with the winner's share of $120,000, Sanenus now has earnings of $219,700. A 5-year-old mare by Scat Daddy out of the Tale of the Cat mare Belgian Chocolate, Saenus now has five wins from 12 career starts.

“Umberto did a great job, he had to niggle a little bit at her to kind of keep her in the game around the first turn,” said McCarthy. I thought she was in a great position up the backside and she went up to engage those fillies leaving the half-mile pole. At the quarter, she had her ears up and I love the way she opened up. The La Canada has a great history and a lot of really nice mares have won this race over the years and this is a nice race to have on her resume.”

Ridden by Mike Smith, Miss Stormy D rallied to be second by a nose over Hard Not to Love and paid $12.00 and $5.80 while off at 14-1.

Hard Not to Love, who was the second choice at 3-1, was done early and finished third, 6 ½ lengths clear of Never Be Enough. Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Hard Not to Love paid $3.00 to show.

Fighting Mad, the 4-5 favorite with Abel Cedillo, was also a pace casualty and had no answer for the winner five-sixteenths from home, finishing fifth.

Fractions on the race were 23.30, 46.37, 1:11.28 and 1:38.20.

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Fighting Mad Makes Seasonal Bow in La Canada

Grade I winner Fighting Mad (New Year’s Day) looks to return to winning ways as she kicks off her 5-year-old season Saturday in the GIII La Canada S. at Santa Anita. Starting off last term with a third in the six-panel GIII Desert Stormer S. in May, the homebred scored a decisive victory over the re-opposing Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) when stretched out to two turns in the GII Santa Maria S. just two weeks later. Capturing the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. next out at Del Mar in August, the bay was third when last seen in the GII Zenyatta S. in Arcadia Sept. 27.

Hard Not to Love, heroine of the 2019 GI La Brea S., captured the GII Santa Monica S. last February and was second in the GI Beholder Mile prior to her second in the Santa Maria. Failing to fire when sixth in the Clement Hirsch, the bay was a close second in the Zenyatta.

Fighting Mad’s stablemate Message (Warrior’s Reward) also makes her seasonal debut here. She was last seen finishing second to Proud Emma (Include) in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 6.

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