Monrovia Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
May 26, 2019

The Squaw came into the Monrovia Stakes off a good victory in the License Fee out at BEL, but she still had at least one doubter for this race. Every now and then, like anyone else reading a race program and wagering on a race, there will be that one good horse that you just don’t think will get it done. Admittedly, that was how I saw The Squaw here. Well, you can’t get them all, and after six and a half furlongs, The Squaw would run a great race, and beat the one I did pick, Lancashire Hotpot, in a photo finish. The winning trainer is Team 7 Illusions, who also won the race back in 2009 with the late Cicada. G Franco is a first time winning jockey. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:14.02, on a surface listed as good. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :22.83)- As we begin on the downhill portion of the course, the longshot Bet Anything jumps out to the lead for Jokerjoes, and would soon be joined at the front by What It Was, from Mb Stables. Just to their inside was the runner up in this race last year, Smokin Nebulae, for Drabfantasy; and the one that beat her then, stablemate Balas Bruit was fourth and looking to split the two frontrunners. After a length, Maxmillion Farm’s Twinny holds down the fifth position as the rest of the field are just another length behind her. Lancashire Hotpot (Blazin D) and Needle (Gdp Inc) are on the inside, while the eventual winner, Team 7 Illusions’ The Squaw is on the outside of this group.

(½ Mile- :44.96, Top Of Stretch, 2F To Go)- After rounding the turn in under 45 seconds for a half mile, Bet Anything conceded the lead to Smokin Nebulae at the top of the stretch. That one had patiently run right behind her for the turn, then used the rail to move on by. What It Was is now second, and at least at this point, seemed to be in a good position. Balais Bruit remained fourth, but was not advancing the way her stablemate was. Further back, the rest of the field was looking for their lanes to take in the stretch, and it was an easy decision for The Squaw, who just had to move to the outside. She would be in the clear for the stretch, and needed to make up three lengths. Lancashire Hotpot had plenty of room on the rail, and was making that work for herself quite well. Twinny would need something to open up in the middle of the field, while Needle could perhaps follow Lancashire Hotpot.

(Finish- 1:14.02)- In the stretch, there were two horses who became the class of the field. Both The Squaw and Lancashire Hotpot were full of run and put away everyone else without much trouble. Smokin Nebulae held on somewhat, but eventually she too could not keep up. The only question now would be which of these two would it be as an exciting duel emerged. In the end, it’s The Squaw, in a photo by a neck over Lancashire Hotpot. Smokin Nebulae was third over Twinny, who had an interesting stretch run. Her jockey D Van Dyke saw that there was going to be no room opening up, altered her course to the outside, and made a nice bid. Balais Bruit gets fifth this year, ahead of Needle, Bet Anything, and What It Was.

About The Winner- The Squaw, trained by Team 7 Illusions and ridden to victory by G Franco, is a four year old filly by Cherokee Sunset, and is out of Seven To Mia. She was bred in New York by Night Mare Racing and acquired by the trainer in private sales a day after making her debut in April 2017 for $70.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in 21 starts, her second stake win, and first graded win. Her career earnings are now $404.980.

Track: Good
Time: :22⁴  :44⁴  1:08¹  1:14

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 1 Paid 13.50
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 1 – 3 Paid 86.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES