Simon Callaghan | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maxim Rate Springs $29.80 Surprise In Santa Anita’s Gamely

With the mile and one-eighth distance taking its toll, heavily favored Charmaine's Mia faltered in the final sixteenth in Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., and longshot Maxim Rate, ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, took full advantage as she lengthened her stride when it counted to win by a half-length. Trained by Simon Callaghan, Maxim Rate got the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.61.

Charmaine's Mia, a winner of three consecutive graded stakes at shorter distances coming into the Gamely, took her customary position on the lead but hit the deep end of the pool a sixteenth of a mile from home and Maxim Rate, who stalked the pace while fourth early, was able to take full advantage while holding off a late run from French-bred La Signare.

“We knew she was training really well coming into this race,” said Callaghan. “We felt that the set up (would) be perfect. A mile and an eighth, back here in California, I think is totally her game. We had some speed to run at and it actually turned out exactly how we wrote up the race (in advance).

“The Grade I was our main aim and to pull it off is fantastic for all of the owners, all of the Slam Dunk team, everyone involved. Now, we'll just space the races out and it will be nice to get to the Breeders' Cup.”

A winner of Santa Anita's G2 Goldikova Stakes at a flat mile on turf three starts back on Oct. 25, Maxim Rate was then fifth in her last two starts, the G1 Matriarch at Del Mar Nov. 29 and the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland April 10.

Off at 13-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up, Maxim Rate paid $29.80, $12.00 and $7.40.

A 5-year-old mare by Exchange Rate out of the Unbridled's Song mare Catch My Eye, Maxim Rate, who is owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Stable Currency, LLC and James Branham, notched her third graded stakes win and her fourth win from eight starts over the Santa Anita lawn. With the winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $597,185 while improving her overall mark to 16-6-3-0.

“She broke out of there, really clean break, she relaxed really well for me,” said Hernandez. “She's a very classy filly, you can do whatever you want with her. I had a really good trip and I just waited for the quarter pole to start working on her and when I asked her to go, she took off. She's a very nice filly.”

Ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, La Signare had two horses beat turning for home and proved second best, finishing a half length in front of English-bred Bodhicitta. Based in the Midwest with trainer Brendan Walsh and making her first start at Santa Anita, La Signare was off at 9-2 and paid $6.00 and $4.20.

Idle since Nov. 29, the Richard Baltas-trained Bodhicitta, next to last at the top of the lane, was up to nip last year's Gamely winner, Keeper Ofthe Stars, by a neck for third. Ridden for the first time by Trevor McCarthy, Bodhicitta was off at 12-1 and paid $8.00 to show.

Charmaine's Mia, who was off at 4-5 with Flavien Prat up, finished sixth, beaten nearly four lengths.

Fractions on the race were 22.82, 45.94, 1:09.86 and 1:34.36.

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Maxim Rate Upsets the Gamely

Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) strode to the lead inside the final furlong and held off the late-closing duo of La Signare (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) to score the first Grade I victory of her career in the GI Gamely S. at Santa Anita Monday. Dismissed at 13-1, Maxim Rate rated kindly in fourth while racing one off the rail as heavily favored Charmaine's Mia (The Factor) took the field through fractions of :22.82 and :45.94. Maxim Rate ranged up three wide at the top of the stretch and closed determinedly down the lane, reeling in the tiring pacesetter before holding the late runners safe to the wire.

“We knew she was training really well coming into this race,” said winning trainer Simon Callaghan. “We felt that the set up would be perfect. A mile and an eighth, back here in California, I think is totally her game. We had some speed to run at and it actually turned out exactly how we wrote up the race.”

Maxim Rate was second behind Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man) in last year's GI Rodeo Drive S. before winning the Oct. 25 GII Goldikova S. She ended 2020 with a fifth-place effort in the Nov. 29 GI Matriarch S. In her only previous 2021 outing, the 5-year-old mare was fifth in the Apr. 10 GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland.

“The Grade I was our main aim and to pull it off is fantastic for all of the owners, all of the Slam Dunk Team, everyone involved,” Callaghan said. “Now, we'll just space the races out and it will be nice to get to the Breeders' Cup.”

Pedigree Notes:

Maxim Rate's Gamely win gave her broodmare sire Unbridled's Song his 27th Grade I victory.

Catch My Eye, a full-sister to the dam of 2017 G3 UAE Oaks winner Nomorerichblondes (Hard Spun), has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Violence who RNA'd for $150,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The mare produced a colt by Street Sense last year and was bred back to More Than Ready.

Monday, Santa Anita

GAMELY S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 5-31, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/8mT, 1:46.61, fm.
1–MAXIM RATE, 124, m, 5, by Exchange Rate
1st Dam: Catch My Eye, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Sharp Eyes, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Gaelic Bird (Fr), by Gay Mecene
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($130,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $235,000 Ylg
'17 KEESEP). O-Slam Dunk Racing, Stable Currency LLC & James
D Branham; B-Fred W Hertrich III & John D Fielding (KY);
T-Simon Callaghan; J-Juan J Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 16-6-3-0, $597,185. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–La Signare (Fr), 122, m, 6, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: La Teranga (Fr), by Beat Hollow (GB)
2nd Dam: Adrastea (Ire), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Akasma (Ger), by Windwurf (Ger)
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Tim & Anna Cambron & Bradley
Thoroughbreds; B-Moussa Mbacke (FR); T-Brendan P Walsh.
$60,000.
3–Bodhicitta (GB), 124, m, 5, by Showcasing (GB)
1st Dam: Solfilia (GB), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Suntory (Ire), by Royal Applause (GB)
3rd Dam: Klarifi (GB), by Habitat
(£55,000 Ylg '17 GOUKPR; £100,000 2yo '18 GOFBRE;
60,000gns 3yo '19 TATHIT; $775,000 RNA 4yo '20 FTKNOV).
O-Calvin Nguyen; B-Fonthill Farms & Mr & Mrs A Scott (GB);
T-Richard Baltas. $36,000.
Margins: HF, HF, NK. Odds: 13.90, 4.80, 12.80.
Also Ran: Keeper Ofthe Stars, Going to Vegas, Charmaine's Mia, Red Lark (Ire). Scratched: Raymundos Secret, Stela Star (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Madone Makes Impressive Return In Senorita Stakes

In a roughly run race, jockey Juan Hernandez orchestrated a picture-perfect trip for comebacking Madone, as she saved ground throughout and unleashed an impressive turn of foot to take Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senorita Stakes by one length at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Owned by Kaleem Shah, Inc. and trained by Simon Callaghan, Madone got a flat mile on turf in 1:35.17.

With favored Closing Remarks shuffled to the rear of an 11-horse field after clipping heels shortly after the start, longshots Stressed and Nimbostratus slugged it out on the front end, with Nimbostratus fairly running off with Heriberto Figueroa leaving the half mile pole.

All the while, Hernandez had Madone, idle since the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Juvenile Turf Nov. 6 at Keeneland, under a snug hold at the rail while a joint third around the first turn with Sensible Cat.

Heading to the far turn, Hernandez was patient and when Nimbostratus drifted out turning for home, he shot the gap between her and Stressed and Madone responded with a solid late kick that kept both the original second place finisher Golden and Closing Remarks at bay late.

“I was telling Simon that this filly came to run today because she broke really sharp out of the gate,” said Hernandez, who collected his second stakes win on the day. “She actually put herself in a really good position, behind the speed and then I was saving ground.

“Around the quarter pole, I was loaded. I had a (lot of) horse and I was just waiting for some space to open and come through. I found a spot and then I asked her, she kicked really well…She is a nice filly.”

Unbeaten in three starts at one mile on turf, two of them in ungraded stakes, Madone tasted defeat for the first time when eighth, beaten 5 ½ lengths at Keeneland on Nov. 6. Ridden for the first time today by Hernandez, she was off as the 5-2 second choice among 11 sophomore fillies and paid $7.80, $4.00 and $3.20.

“We thought she was ready although, you never quite know,” said Callaghan. “It's just easier to get them ready to run on turf than it is on dirt. So we were confident her fitness level was where it needed to be and Juan gave a perfect ride. She broke well, put herself in a good position, and she had a good turn of foot when it was needed, that was fun.”

A Kentucky-bred filly by the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Vancouver, Madone is out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Love Call. In notching her first graded stakes win, Madone is now four for five and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $211,300.

Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Golden was full of run while in behind horses at the top of the lane and finished very well to be second, a half length in front of Closing Remarks, but Golden was disqualified for taking the path of the original sixth place finisher, Javanica, a sixteenth of a mile out and was placed sixth.

An unlucky Closing Remarks, who rallied six-wide under Victor Espinoza turning for home, was moved up to second and paid $3.00 and $2.80 while off as the 9-5 favorite.

Wide throughout, Sweetest Angel, originally fourth, was moved up to third and paid $5.80 to show while off at 11-1 with Edwin Maldonado.

Fractions on the race were 23.85, 47.05, 1:10.88 and 1:23.08.

With the Senorita carded as the 10^th and final race, a Kentucky Derby Day on-track crowd of 9,659 wagered $1.8 million, contributing to a robust Derby Day handle of $15,490,702.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.

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Madone, Closing Remarks, Javanica Among 11 Facing Off In Senorita Stakes

A solid second to streaking Irish-bred Going Global in her last two starts, Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks heads an outstanding field of 11 sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

In what shapes up as an outstanding betting race on Kentucky Derby Day, Kaleem Shah's Madone, idle since the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Godolphin's graded stakes-placed homebred Javanica also figure prominently in a very deep field.

In a tremendous effort, Closing Remarks, a California-bred filly by Vronsky who is trained by Carla Gaines, saved ground throughout and matched strides with Going Global late to finish second, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at a mile and one eighth on turf at Santa Anita on April 3. Going Global, who was off as the heavy 3-5 favorite, was free-running turning for home and prevailed in a thriller, after which track announcer Frank Mirahmadi noted, “Closing Remarks could not have run any better.”

The same could have been said regarding Closing Remarks' second place finish in the ungraded China Doll Stakes March 6, a one mile turf affair in which Going Global prevailed by three quarters of a length.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli in five out of her six starts, Closing Remarks will get the first-time services of Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza on Saturday, as Rispoli has engagements at Churchill Downs. Out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks won the one mile turf California Cup Oaks three starts back on Jan. 16 and she brings an overall mark of 6-2-2-0 to the Senorita party.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Madone has been idle since running eighth, beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland Nov. 6. Perhaps the biggest late threat in the Senorita, Madone was unbeaten in three starts, all at one mile on turf, heading into the Breeders' Cup.

A first-out maiden winner on July 31 at Del Mar, Madone then took the one mile Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 6 and in her final Breeders' Cup prep, rallied powerfully from off the pace to take the ungraded Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 4. Ridden in all four of her starts by Flavien Prat, Madone, a Kentucky-bred filly by the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Vancouver, will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez on Saturday.

Javanica, a one mile maiden turf winner in her second start at Arlington Park on Sept. 18, was a sharp second, beaten a half length, in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at a mile on turf four starts back on Nov. 28 and returns to her preferred surface following a well beaten fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on dirt April 3.

Trained by Eoin Harty, Javanica was second, beaten a neck two starts back in the El Camino Real Derby on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields and rallied to finish second three starts back at Santa Anita in the one mile turf Blue Norther on Dec. 31.

By Medaglia d'Oro, out of Godolphin's Elusive Quality mare Shuruq, Javanica has a win and two seconds from three starts at one mile on turf and is 7-1-4-0 overall. She'll be ridden for the first time on Saturday by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, who by all accounts, is back to his best in the saddle.

GRADE 3 SENORITA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 10 Approximate post time 5:45 p.m. PT

Madone—Juan Hernandez—124
Jibber Jabber—Geovanni Franco—120
Nimbostratus—Tiago Pereira—120
Closing Remarks—Victor Espinoza—124
Tetragonal—Abel Cedillo—120
Golden—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—120
Sensible Cat—Tyler Baze—124
Stressed—Mario Gutierrez—120
Majestic Steps—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Javanica—Kent Desormeaux—120
Sweetest Angel—Edwin Maldonado–120

First post time for a 10-race card on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Grandstand admission gates open early at 7 a.m. and Infield gates open at 9 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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