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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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Clairiere Avenges Earlier Loss To Travel Column, Earns 50 Kentucky Oaks Points In Rachel Alexandra Stakes

Last early, Stonestreet Stables LLC's homebred Clairiere rallied in the final sixteenth of a mile under Joe Talamo to edge favored Travel Column to win the Grade 2, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday.

Moon Swag finished third, with Littlestitious fourth in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. The race was the first of the 85 qualifying points races for the Kentucky Oaks, giving 50-20-10-5 points to the top four. Charlie's Penny, coming off a win in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds last out, was scratched from the Rachel Alexandra.

A daughter of Curlin out of the multiple G1-winning Bernardini mare Cavorting, Clairiere traveled 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.34 on a fast track. She was the 2-1 second choice behind Travel Column, the even-money favorite who beat Clairiere when the two met in their last start in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs last Nov. 28.

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Captivating Moon Springs $89 Surprise In Fair Grounds Stakes

Rallying far out in the middle of the Fair Grounds turf course, Lothenbach Stables' homebred Captivating Moon upset the apple cart at odds of 43-1, getting up in the final sixteenth of a mile to win Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes in New Orleans, La.

Trained by Chris Block and ridden by Marcelino Pedroza, the 6-year-old son of Malibu Moon was 1 3/4 lengths ahead at the finish, covering 1 1/8 miles on the soft Fair Grounds turf in 1:50.27 and paying $89 on a $2 bet.

Logical Myth finished second, edging Peace Achieved by a head, with Set Piece a nose bacj in a three-horse photo. Factor This, the 9-5 favorite, finished fifth in the field of 10 older runners. Blackberry Wine was scratched, trainer Joe Sharp opting to run the horse one race earlier in the Mineshaft Stakes.

Captivating Moon raced near the back of the field, alongside Set Piece, as Spectacular Gem and Factor This battled on the front end through fractions of :23:35, :48.14 and 1:12.20 for the opening six furlongs.

Pedroza took the outside route and Set Piece went inside as the field rounded the turn and headed into the long Fair Grounds stretch. Captivating Moon began running down the leaders in the final furlong, after a one-mile clocking in 1:37.99, then took command in the closing strides.

“He does like a soft turf,” said Block. “Marcelino did a nice job of keeping him in the clear.”

Block had also entered Captivating Moon in the Colonel Power Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf stakes, earlier in the card, but opted for this spot.

The victory was the fifth in 29 career starts for Captivating Moon, who had run on dirt in his eight most recent races. The Fair Grounds Stakes was his first graded stakes victory.

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Maxfield Remains Unbeaten With Facile Triumph In Mineshaft

Godolphin homebred Maxfield registered his fifth career victory without a defeat, easily winning Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

The 4-year-old Brendan Walsh-trained son of Street Sense, ridden by Florent Geroux, ran 1 1 1/6 miles on a fast track in 1:43.67 and paid $3.20 as the 3-5 betting favorite. Sonneman finished second at 18-1, with 12-1 shot Chess Chief third and 5-1 Blackberry Wine fourth in the field of six older horses. Wells Bayou was scratched.

Dinar was sent by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to secure the early lead, going the opening quarter mile in :23.97, then opening up a sizable advantage in the run down the backstretch, the half mile in :47.49. Blackberry was a distant second at this point, just ahead of Maxfield, who broke inwardly at the start, and Chess Chief.

Approaching the far turn after six furlongs in 1:13.06, Dinar started to come back to the field, with Blackberry Wine and Maxfield moving as a team to tackle the frontrunner as they rounded the turn. Maxfield quickly took command, and after a mile clocking in 1:37.31 pulled away in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Mineshaft won his first two starts at two in 2019, including the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, before going to the sidelines on the eve of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita with a chip in an ankle that required surgery. He returned the following May to win the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, but wound up with a condylar fracture, not returning until taking the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds last Dec. 19.

“It's great to get some nice successive runs into him and he's finally turning into the horse we always believed he was,” said Walsh. “He made a nice progression from that last race.”

Walsh was non-committal about Maxfield's next start, saying there are multiple options. “We'll enjoy tonight and we'll have a think about it, then come up with the next spot for him in the next few days.”

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