Senator Ken Maddy Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Small But She’s Got A Big Heart’: Biddy Duke Outlasts Jo Jo Air in Sen. Ken Maddy

Easily one of the smallest horses on the grounds, trainer Doug O'Neill's speedy Biddy Duke showed tremendous gameness late in taking Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, the 3-year-old daughter of Bayern got 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.03 while prevailing by a head over Jo Jo Air.

Breaking like a shot from her number two post position, Biddy Duke out-footed Jo Jo Air to the far turn and had a one-length advantage turning for home. With a host of pursuers, led by “Jo Jo” set to pounce a furlong out, Biddy Duke, who may not stand quite 14 hands tall, simply would not be denied while hand-ridden late.

“She's really fast and she's one of the smallest horses I've ever ridden,” said Hernandez, who picked up his second win on the day. “I knew we were going fast, but she was comfortable, so I let her go. When she saw that other filly come to us, she really fought back. She's small but she's got a big heart.”

Claimed for $40,000 six starts back on May 23 and most recently third over the course in the Unzip Me Stakes Sept. 26, Biddy Duke was off at 9-1 in a field of six fillies and mares and paid $20.20, $8.00 and $4.80.

“This filly has been so honest ever since we got her,” said Leandro Mora, assistant to O'Neill. “The idea was just to not go to the lead, just go close to the lead … Juan said she never quit, when he asked her, she just came back and that's all you see.

“We just pray and do the best we can.”

Owned by Joe Besecker, Biddy Duke, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare Ghostslayer, notched her first-ever stakes win and improved her overall mark to 20-7-5-3. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $280,332.

Breaking from the rail, Jo Jo Air ran a huge race in defeat, prevailing by one length over longshot An Eddie Surprise for second money. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Jo Jo Air was the second choice at 5-2 and paid $4.00 and $3.00.

With Mario Gutierrez up, An Eddie Surprise, one of three O'Neill entrants, was off at 9-1 and paid $4.00 to show while out-finishing Aqua Seaform Shame by a neck.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, heavily favored Magic At Midnight, who was off at 4-5, saved ground while a close fifth at the top of the lane, but never threatened from there while finishing next to last.

Fractions on the race were 21.80, 44.60 and 56.09.

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Equibase Analysis: Jo Jo Air Leads Senator Ken Maddy Stakes Field

The Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes this Saturday at Santa Anita Park brings together a field of seven fillies and mare turf sprinters, four of which have won their most recent race or the race just prior to it.

Among the group, Magic at Midnight will very likely be in front from the start given that she has lead decisively after a quarter mile has been run in all four career starts to date, winning all four although none were stakes. Among the horses proven at stakes level, Jo Jo Air leads the group as she won the similar Daisycutter Stakes in July at Del Mar. Aqua Seaform Shame and Biddy Duke have also run well at the level as they finished second and third, respectively, in the Unzip Me Stakes, restricted to just three year olds, last month over the course. An Eddie Surprise won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance on the Santa Anita turf in her most recent race, eight months ago in February. Lakerball has been running in longer races throughout most of her career, but is winless since taking the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate in the fall of 2018. Zee Drop cuts back in distance after a fourth place finish in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes last month.

Jo Jo Air is definitely the most accomplished filly in the field in turf sprints, winning four from 12 races. Two of those were stakes victories and the most recent of that pair was the best race of her career. That came in the Daisycutter Stakes at Del Mar in July where she rallied from third and earned a 111 Equibase Speed Figure which was not only a career-best but the best in the field. Jo Jo Air then went to Pimlico to contest The Very One Stakes and apparently did not care for the soft turf, finishing sixth as the heavy favorite. Shipping back out from trainer Wesley Ward's home base in Kentucky into California for this race the same way she did for the Daisycutter and running on much firmer ground than compared to the Very One Stakes, Jo Jo Air could likely return to the form shown this summer and win the Ken Maddy Stakes.

Magic at Midnight will have to be caught as its obvious where she will be in the early stages. Having led by a length and one-half or more by the time a quarter mile has been run in all four of her races to date, and never looking back from there, Magic at Midnight could prove very brave on the front end once again. The only time she ran on turf, in August at Del Mar, Magic at Midnight earned a 103 figure, but that effort came off an 11 month layoff and so better still is possible.

An Eddie Surprise leads the field in career earnings at $341,952 and has won five of 20 races on turf in her career. Most of those were allowance level races, and she has nine runner-up finishes to go along with the five wins. Still, when last seen she won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance of the Ken Maddy Stakes on the turf course at Santa Anita. That effort earned a 106 figure which is the second best in the field and if she can fire off the bench she could have a strong say in the outcome.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Aqua Seaform Shame (104), Biddy Duke (103), Lakerball (102) and Zee Drop (103).

Win Contenders:
Jo Jo Air
Magic at Midnight
An Eddie Surprise

Senator Ken Maddy Stakes – Grade 3
Race 8 at Santa Anita
Saturday, October 24 – Post Time 7:30 PM E.T.
Five and One-Half Furlongs on Turf
Fillies and Mares, 3-Year-Olds and Upward
Purse: $100,000

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Unbeaten Magic At Midnight Bidding For Fifth Straight In Senator Ken Maddy Stakes

Unbeaten in four starts by a combined 25 1/2 lengths, trainer Mark Glatt's Magic At Midnight will try stakes competition for the first time as she squares off with Wesley Ward's multiple stakes winning Jo Jo Air in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, which has attracted a field of seven fillies and mares 3 years old and up at 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Named for the late Central Valley-based California state senator, the Maddy Stakes, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, was run as the Autumn Days Handicap prior to 1999.

MAGIC AT MIDNIGHT
Owner: Michael A. and Michael L. Moran & Joseph Moran
Trainer: Mark Glatt
Claimed for $30,000 out of a first-out 13-length romp on July 14 at Los Alamitos, this 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute has been nothing short of tremendous in three subsequent starts for Glatt, including a 2 3/4-length score in her only try on grass two starts back in a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar Aug. 14. Brilliantly fast, Magic At Midnight has never been headed in all four of her starts and has been favored in her last three, the most recent in which she overcame a stumble at the break en route to a one-length score in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on Sept. 7. Out of the stakes placed Dixie Union mare Magical Blend, Magic At Midnight's value would be greatly enhanced should she win the G3 Maddy.

JO JO AIR
Owner: Andrew Farm & Mrs. Charlie O'Connor
Trainer: Wesley Ward
A two-time non-graded stakes winner, this 4-year-old filly by Scat Daddy is well traveled, evidenced by the fact her appearance in the Maddy will mark the ninth different track she's competed at in what will be her 13th start—all of them turf sprints. Most recently well beaten as the 4-5 favorite over a yielding course in a five-furlong stakes at Pimlico Oct. 1, Jo Jo Air rallied to take Del Mar's five-furlong Daiseycutter by a neck two starts back on July 24 under Flavien Prat, with whom she'll be reunited on Saturday. A $325,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Jo Jo Air, who is out of the Grand Slam mare Tessie Flip, will be competing in her first ever graded stakes. With an overall mark of 12-4-1-0, she has earnings of $201,474.

AN EDDIE SURPRISE
Owner: Reddam Racing, LLC
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
The leading money earner in the field, this Reddam Racing homebred 5-year-old mare by Square Eddie has been idle since rallying to win the 5 1/2-furlong turf Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 17 and looms dangerous over a course she adores. A California-bred, she's out of the High Demand mare Dani Reese and all five of her career wins have come over the Santa Anita lawn. With an overall mark of 26-5-9-4, An Eddie Surprise will be handled by regular rider Mario Gutierrez as she tries to pad her earnings of $341,952.

G3 SENATOR KEN MADDY STAKES
WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Jo Jo Air—Flavien Prat—124
Biddy Duke—Juan Hernandez–118
An Eddie Surprise—Mario Gutierrez—124
Lakerball—Mike Smith—124
Magic At Midnight—Abel Cedillo—122
Aqua Seaform Shame—Umberto Rispoli–118
Zee Drop—Ricky Gonzalez—122

First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's races can be viewed live and free of charge at santaanita.com

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