Melair Stakes

Purse $125.00 – For Fillies Three Years Old Foaled In CA

1 1/16 Miles – Dirt

Santa Anita Park – May 23, 2026

Santa Anita Park will feature many Cal-bred stakes this weekend, including the 18th edition of the Melair Stakes. Many of this year’s entrants have prior stakes experience, but this race also gives a chance for up-and-coming horses to shine. The Melair has undergone a pair of distance changes throughout its history, running at 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt from 2012 to 2013 and later at 1 ½ miles in 2023. Interestingly enough, Australia Wide sits atop the owner standings for the Melair, having won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009. Ever since then, there have been fourteen winning owners and no repeat winners. Pink N Bold etched his name into the record books for Iolaus Racing in 2020, with a stakes-record performance of 1:41.60 for the 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Although this year only drew five fillies, the field still looks evenly matched from top to bottom. Let’s take a look at each horse and see if there are any standouts this year!

1. Spirit Dreams – (The Sidley Stud, V. Del-Cid) The only non-homebred entrant this year and was claimed for $6.25 just two starts ago. There’s no question that connections are taking a big shot with this filly, especially failing as the favorite in her last start in a starter allowance. Spirit Dreams drew a comfy outside post and was the leader rounding the far turn. She yielded in the stretch and had to settle for second place. This daughter of Hogshead has gone two turns on the turf in the past, but this will be her first time going a route of ground on the dirt. Although she has a second-place finish against allowance company, other horses look more attractive in this spot.

2. Pretty Pretty Good – (La Canada Racehorses, U. Rispoli) Broke her maiden against State-Breds late last year at Del Mar in wire-to-wire fashion. Pretty Pretty Good stepped up nicely in her next start in a N1X going two turns. It was her first time running around a route of ground, and she came with a nice run from off the pace and won by an easy two lengths. Connections then took a shot in the Silverbulletday Stakes to try and get Kentucky Oaks points, but she failed to fire. Most recently, the daughter of Fire Be Good is coming off a victory by a nose in another N1X. Pretty Pretty Good is capable of putting together a good effort, but a step forward is needed.

3. Madame Masque – (Riggins Racing, J J. Hernandez) It was a very productive two-year-old season for this filly as she ran four times and never finished off the board. Her strongest performance came in the Golden Rod at Churchill Downs, where she rallied from eighth and erased five lengths in the stretch to finish third. After turning three, Madame Masque’s form has gone a bit sideways after a tenth and twelfth-place finish. The Gazelle was her last start at Aqueduct and drew the widest in a field of twelve. Connections tried putting blinkers on, and she didn’t make up any ground from last place. Now being drawn in the three-hole, we should see a big improvement.

4. Space Haggis – (TwinTowersRacing, K. Kimura) Comes in here off a fifth-place effort in The Fantasy at Oaklawn Park. Space Haggis is a habitual deep closer, and it wasn’t any different as she sat five lengths off the pace in seventh. She finished fifth, but didn’t make up any ground as the losing margin was by five lengths. This daughter of Starship Haggis had two grade one starts last year in the Alcibiades and Spinaway and failed to fire in both starts. She won a N1X around two turns just two months ago after being drawn down on the rail. It’s worth noting that connections are removing blinkers for this start. If there are fast early fractions, look for this filly to be picking up pieces late.

5. Cappelletti – (D J C Racing Stables, J. Laprida) A rapidly improving sort who comes in the Melair with back-to-back wins. Cappelletti broke her maiden at Tampa Bay Downs, going one mile on the dirt. She was forwardly placed in the early stages and took the lead around the far turn to win by an easy length. D J C Racing Stables kept this daughter of Acapulco Bay in Tampa and took a step up in an N1X. New tactics were used as this filly came from off the pace for the first time. It was a four-wide trip down the backstretch, and Cappelletti kicked away strongly in the final stages for a half-length victory. I can definitely see this Cal-bred taking another step forward in here.

– AJM

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded