Venetian Harbor Makes It Look Easy In Monrovia

Classy Venetian Harbor, in her first start since well beaten in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 7, seized immediate control and drew off to win Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita by 3 ½ lengths, her third graded stakes victory and first on turf.  Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden for the first time by Mario Gutierrez, Venetian Harbor got 6 ½ furlongs on grass in 1:15.06.

Breaking from post position seven in a field of eight fillies and mares, Venetian Harbor sped to the lead while pressed by well fancied Superstition to her outside as well as Nasty and Never for Money, who tucked in just behind in the run to the far turn.

With a one length advantage a quarter mile out, Venetian Harbor opened up turning for home  and won in-hand in a tremendous effort.

“I had the opportunity to work her in the mornings, so I already knew a lot about her,” said Gutierrez.  “I knew she carried the speed, that was never the question.  I just let her break and right away, try to not ask her too much, she did the rest.  She put herself in the race, after that, it was just wait for the time to kick home and she got the job done.”

A winner of the G2 Raven Run Stakes going seven furlongs on dirt two starts back at Keeneland Oct. 17 and a winner of Santa Anita's G2 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile in her third career start, Venetian Harbor was the narrow 2-1 favorite over Superstition and paid $6.40, $3.60 and $2.60.

Owned by Ciaglia  Racing, LLC, Highland Yard, LLC, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor, a 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City, is now 9-4-4-0 and with the winner's share of $120,000, increased her earnings to $633,400.

“She ran the way we thought she would,” said Baltazar Marroquin, assistant to Baltas, who was out of town on Saturday.  “Yes, we expected her to go to the lead.  She's run against some of the best fillies and Mario has worked her a couple of time, so he knows her.”

Next to last around the far turn, Contantia swung six-deep turning for home and was clearly second best in a big effort.  Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Constantia was the third choice at 5-2 and paid $3.40 and $2.20.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Superstition emptied out chasing the winner and had to settle for third money while beaten 1 ½ lengths by Constantia.  Off at 2-1, Superstition paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.48, 44.96 and 1:08.79.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.  There is a mandatory payout in Sunday's 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six, with the total pool expected to approach $3 million.

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Venetian Harbor Returns In Saturday’s Monrovia

A two-time graded stakes winner who has been idle since well beaten by Eclipse Champion Gamine in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 7, the Richard Baltas-trained Venetian Harbor heads a field of eight fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs on turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita.

Although she looms large on class alone, Venetian Harbor will face serious opposition as she catches a field with four last-out winners and a pair of distaffers that come off of second-place finishes in their most recent starts.

The Keith Abrahams homebred Constantia rates high on the list of recent winners, as she rallied impressively to take an ungraded sprint stakes going six furlongs on turf here April 17 and the Baltas-trained Nasty, a gate to wire ungraded stakes winner here at a flat mile on turf back on Dec. 26, also rates a huge chance.

A winner of Santa Anita's Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes going a flat mile on the main track in her third start on Feb. 8, 2020, Venetian Harbor was then second as the odds-on favorite to eventual Eclipse Champion 3-year-old Filly Swiss Skydiver in Oaklawn Park's Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes May 1 and was subsequently second in both the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland July 11 and the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 8. A winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes two starts back going seven furlongs on dirt at Keeneland Oct. 17, Venetian Harbor was never a factor when beaten 16 ½ lengths in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Although she's be trying a new game with turf on Saturday, Venetian Harbor, in her only start on grass, ran a solid second in her career debut, beaten three quarters of a length going five furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 15, 2019.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, LLC, Highland Yard, LLC, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor, a 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City, will be ridden for the first time by Mario Gutierrez. With an overall mark of 8-3-4-0, she has earnings of $513,400.

Trained by John Sadler, Constantia comes off what appeared to be her best ever performance, as she split horses turning for home and rallied for an impressive 1 ½ length win in the Mizdirection Stakes at six furlongs on turf April 17. A 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Belong to Me mare Llandudno, Constantia, unlike Venetian Harbor, has been on turf in all 12 of her career starts, which have resulted in a 4-1-3 mark and earnings of $149,752.

With Umberto Rispoli, who is in search of his 15 stakes win at the current meet, back aboard, Constantia will be making her first graded stakes start in the Monrovia.

Cast as the “Other Baltas,” the LNJ Foxwoods-owned Nasty has an outstanding work tab to her credit, with three bullet moves on Santa Anita's training track at distances of five furlongs and a half mile. Idle since taking the one mile turf Lady of Shamrock in gate to wire fashion on opening day, Nasty, who sold for $230,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling, will be ridden for the first time by newly transplanted Trevor McCarthy, who notched his first Santa Anita win at 6 ½ furlongs on turf this past Monday.

A 4-year-old filly by Street Sense out of the Lion Heart mare Valiant Passion, Nasty, who was originally stabled with Brad Cox in the Midwest, made her first start for Baltas three starts back in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at one mile on turf Oct. 17—finishing a close third behind multiple stakes winner Warren's Showtime.

THE GRADE 2 MONROVIA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Nasty—Trevor McCarthy—122
  2. Never for Money—Geovanni Franco—122
  3. Constantia—Umberto Rispoli—122
  4. Gypsy Spirit—Edwin Maldonado—122
  5. Trickle In—Tyler Baze—122
  6. She's So Special—Juan Hernandez–122
  7. Venetian Harbor—Mario Gutierrez—124
  8. Superstition—Abel Cedillo–122

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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