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Fair Maiden Rallies In La Brea, Giving Jockey Ricky Gonzalez First Grade 1 Win

In a streak of Godolphin Blue, the Eoin Harty-trained Fair Maiden blew by her competition late to take Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths under upstart Ricky Gonzalez. Fair Maiden, in her eighth career start, got seven furlongs in 1:22.69 on the Santa Anita main track in Arcadia, Calif.

Breaking from post position nine in a field of 10 sophomore fillies, Fair Maiden was mid-pack, about three lengths off the lead approaching the top of the lane while following the Bob Baffert-trained Golden Principal. From there, Fair Maiden, who was six-deep off the turn, easily reeled in Golden Principal for an impressive victory, which provided Gonzalez with his first-ever Grade 1 triumph.

“Eoin (Harty) said she was doing really really well, to just put her in the race,” Gonzalez said. “There were quite a few speeds. 'Just put her in the race get her clear and get her to the outside.' We hit the stretch and as soon as we hit the stretch she went on the outside and was just full of run.

On recording his first Grade 1 victory, Gonzalez said, “I was just so happy and excited, to just ride these kinds of horses, it feels great. I'm very thankful to Eoin and all the trainers for all the opportunities.”

Most recently fourth in an ungraded six furlong stakes at Keeneland Nov. 7, Fair Maiden was off at 20-1 and paid $43.20, $18.60 and $10.00.

Owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC in Kentucky, Fair Maiden is by Street Boss out of the Smart Strike mare Shieldmaiden. A minor stakes winner on turf in her third career start at Woodbine in August 2019, Fair Maiden collected her first graded stakes win on Saturday and improved her overall mark to 8-4-1-1. With the winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $321,278.

One of four Baffert trainees in the field, Golden Principal was off at 12-1 and paid $13.60 and $7.40 while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of her stablemate Merneith.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Merneith was the second choice in the betting at 7-2 and paid $4.00 to show while finishing three quarters of length in front of post time favorite Finite, who is trained by Steve Asmussen.

Fractions on the race were 21.88, 44.59 and 1:09.92.

“It's just the way the things pan out when you get to that number two level. It's hard to find a race against really competitive company,” Harty said, when asked why he switched from synthetic surfaces and turf to dirt this year. “I didn't want to keep taking her up to Woodbine so I found a spot in Churchill (winning a six-furlong allowance race) and that was a big question mark as to whether she would handle it there and she did. She was super professional that day and gave me a lot of confidence in bringing her out here for this.

“I've been watching Ricky ride since he came down here, and I think he's the next superstar. He's brave and he puts his horse in a spot to win. I grab him in every time I can because I think he's a world-class rider, and today was his first Grade 1 win.”

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Duopoly Goes Wire-to-Wire in American Oaks

Having sent out Klaravich Stable’s Competitionofideas (Speightstown) to win his first GI American Oaks two years ago, trainer Chad Brown was back at it again Saturday afternoon, as Klaravich’s Duopoly (Animal Kingdom) was given a beautifully rated ride from the front by Frenchman Flavien Prat and had plenty left late to post a mild upset at odds of 6-1. Going to Vegas (Goldencents) stayed on gamely for second ahead of favored ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sharing (Speightstown), who just earned a photo for third.

Duopoly appeared the speed of the field and so it proved, as Prat kicked her straight into the lead as they raced down the hill, but John Velazquez was content on keeping Sharing closer to whatever pace eventuated. Duopoly switched off nicely through opening splits of :24.91 and :49.67, but the same could not be said for Sharing, who wanted to overrace and pulled hard through the middle stages. Prat managed to slacken the pace further still over the next internal quarter-mile (:25.22) and looked to have the race at his mercy turning for home. Duopoly, unsurprisingly, had plenty left to give and sprinted her final two furlongs in :22.63 en route to a reasonably easy victory.

“I thought on the backside someone was going to hook up with me, but lucky enough nobody did,” said Prat. “We had a pretty nice trip. She was full of herself and travelling perfect. When I asked her she really kicked in.”

Duopoly wired a field of Monmouth maidens to graduate second time out July 2 and repeated the dose in Saratoga allowance company Aug. 21, but was unable to find the front as the favorite in the Oct. 16 GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. at Keeneland and weakened to be fifth. She was back to her pacesetting ways in the Nov. 15 Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct, defeating Saturday’s Tropical Park Oaks winner Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d’Oro) into third.

Pedigree Notes:

Duopoly is the third top-level and seventh graded/group winner for the expatriated Animal Kingdom and the sire’s second Grade I winner this term, joining Jaipur S. heroine Oleksandra (Aus). Justaroundmidnight is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Quality Road and a yearling Kitten’s Joy colt that fetched $275,000 at this year’s Keeneland September sale that has since been exported to England. The mare was barren to Kitten’s Joy’s son Oscar Performance for 2020 and was returned to that stallion this past season.

Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $302,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.61, fm.
1–DUOPOLY, 124, f, 3, by Animal Kingdom
1st Dam: Justaroundmidnight (Ire) (GSW, $161,948), by
Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Strategy (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Island Story (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($160,000 Ylg
’18 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Jamm, Ltd. (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
6-4-0-0, $308,034. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Going to Vegas, 124, f, 3, by Goldencents
1st Dam: Hard to Resist (SW, $284,538), by Johannesburg
2nd Dam: Anja, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Knoosh, by Storm Bird
O-Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, Hagop Nakkashian &
Richard Baltas; B-J. Kirk & Judy Robison (KY); T-Richard Baltas.
$60,000.
3–Sharing, 124, f, 3, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Shared Account (GISW, $1,649,427), by Pleasantly Perfect
2nd Dam: Silk n’ Sapphire, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
($350,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
& Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Sagamore Farm (MD);
T-H. Graham Motion. $36,000.
Margins: 2, 3/4, NO. Odds: 6.00, 14.80, 1.60.
Also Ran: Red Lark (Ire), Capital Structure (GB), Luck Money, Miss Addie Pray, Neige Blanche (Fr), California Kook, Guitty (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Chrono Genesis Highlights Arima Kinen

Fan favorite Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), who will attempt to add a victory in Sunday’s G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama after a win in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen earlier this season, aims to follow in the illustrious hoofprints of Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who completed the double in 2019. The 2019 G1 Shuka Sho winner, Chrono Genesis kicked off 2020 with a score in the G2 Kyoto Kinen in February before finishing second to Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the 2,000-meter G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Apr. 5. Back in the winner’s circle following the Takarazuka Kinen June 26, the 4-year-old filly finished a close-up third behind recently retired champion Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and 2020 G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) hero Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Tokyo’s G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) Nov. 1.

World Premiere (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) recorded a career high win in last season’s 3,000-meter G1 Kikura Sho (Japanese St. Leger) before rounding out the term with a third behind Lys Gracieux in the G1 Arima Kinen. Off for the next 11 months, the 4-year-old returned with a credible sixth behind Almond Eye in the Nov. 29 G1 Japan Cup.

Following her Osaka Hai win last spring, Lucky Lilac finished sixth in the Takarazuka Kinen prior to a third in the G2 Sapporo Kinen in August. Most recently, the 5-year-old mare won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hanshin Nov. 15.

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Kiss Today Goodbye Surprises San Antonio Foes With Last-To-First Run

On a blissfully sunny opening day in Arcadia, Calif., Kiss Today Goodbye, a 15-1 longshot trained by Eric Kruljac, came rolling from dead last to take Santa Anita's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes by a half length under Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

Breaking from post position two, Smith had his mount in-hand going into the first turn and he saved every inch of ground at the rail until the top of the stretch, where he angled to the four-path and rallied to out-finish the Richard Baltas-trained Idol late.

Unplaced on turf in both the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6 and the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita two starts back on Oct. 18, Kiss Today Goodbye exited a solid first condition allowance win over the Del Mar main track on Nov. 14 but was trying graded stakes competition on dirt for the first time today.

Ridden for the first time by Smith, he paid $33.60, $10.60 and $6.60 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up.

“I was impressed with his last race and I wasn't even riding him. He ran by me in that last race,” said Smith. “I thank Eric Kruljac for the opportunity of riding him and for his great training job. The race was shaping up for him with the speed up front and when it came time to run, he took off. I just guided him around the track.”

Owned by John Sondereker, Kiss Today Goodbye, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Cairo Prince out of the Heatseeker mare Savvy Hester, collected his first stakes win while improving his overall mark to 10-3-0-3. With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $230,802.

Ridden by Gabriel Saez, Idol was taken off the pace and sat fourth into the first turn, was a joint second inside favored Mucho Gusto heading to the three furlong pole and kept to his task at the rail late while finishing as though he'll appreciate added distance.

The second choice at 4-1, Idol finished three quarters of a length better than Take the One O One and paid $5.20 and $5.20.

The early pacesetter under Jose Valdivia, Jr., Take the One O One was off at 29-1 and paid $14.40 to show while finishing a length and one quarter in front of 1-2 favorite Mucho Unusual.

Fractions on the race were 23.83, 47.81, 1:11.42 and 1:36.83.

“He was always very immature early on,” Krujak said of Kiss Today Goodbye. “It just took him longer to get to where he is and I think he is really just beginning to mature.

“About four races back he got absolutely sandblasted and was basically eased in the race. I basically told (Mike), 'he's better with the kickback but it was a factor that day.' As you can see when Mike came back, he ate the dirt, the colt has put it all together and Mike gave him an absolutely perfect ride. The pace gods were on our side.

“This was absolutely an owner's decision. This is a really nice condition race that we are no longer eligible for in about three days. John (Sondereker) uses Thorograph and says his numbers looked great but he thought he would move way forward. John said his sheet numbers were going up and up, and he is a numbers guy. The horse is trained like that but as a trainer I look at the older horses and see what they have already done, I go, 'Oh my God what are we doing.' But he was right! It sure set up well, and the two scratches helped.”

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