MENDED GALLANT IN DEFEAT
$12,500 claimer turned stakes mare Mended continues to blossom; the daughter of Broken Vow most recently ran second in the Grade I $400,000 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita Park last Saturday. This was her first try against Grade I company and her second straight graded stakes placing.
Under the guidance of regular pilot Ricky Gonzalez, Mended dueled on the lead with fellow Golden Gate Fields shipper Turkish Tabby for the first six furlongs of the race before shaking clear of the aforementioned rival on the far turn. The eventual winner, Fault, ran by Mended at the top of the stretch, but Mended continued to fight for the length of the lane and held second.
“She came out of the race well,” said trainer John Martin. “Right now she is at Santa Anita and I as well as [owner] Troy [Onorato] are coming up with a game plan as to where she will run next.”
Since being claimed by Troy and Maritza Onorato for $12,500 last year, Mended has earned $305,900. She has won 10 of 12 starts for the Onorato’s and Martin, with both losses coming against graded stakes company.
“She has a Grade I placing now so she is worth some money as a broodmare,” said Martin. “We want to manage her well. She is such a nice mare. She is going to be a good momma someday.”
In other stakes news, Blended Citizen, who ran second in The El Camino Real Derby last month, flew to Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky and defeated 11 rivals in the Grade 3 $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes for 3-year-olds. Blended Citizen is regularly stabled at the Doug O’Neill barn at Santa Anita and has been ridden in his past two races by Kyle Frey, a Bay-Area native who was a part of The Golden Gate jockey colony from 2012 until last year.
Mugaritz, a Jonathan Wong trainee who finished fourth in The El Camino Real Derby, also ran in the $200,000 Jeff Ruby. He set the pace under East Coast rider Nik Juarez before weakening down the lane and finishing off the board.
MOTHER OF DRAGONS EARNS FIRST STAKES WIN IN THE CAMILLA URSO
Mother of Dragons, a $3,000 sales purchase, earned her first career stakes victory in The Camilla Urso Stakes last Saturday, defeating a talented group of older filly and mare sprinters.
Mother of Dragons stalked a fast pace before coming with a bid down the center of the track and collaring both Cash Prize and multiple stakes winner Alliford Bay in the final 20 yards of the six-furlong contest. This marked the first stakes win for trainer Andreas Psarras, who also owns the 4-year-old filly by First Dude.
“She was training very well before this race,” said Psarras after the Camilla Urso triumph. “She loves this track.”
Mother of Dragons was purchased for just $3,000 by Psarras and has since won 4 races from 6 starts, with career earnings of $84,915.
NOMINATIONS CLOSE FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO MILE ON THURSDAY
Nominations close for the Grade 3 $200,000 San Francisco Mile this Thursday, March 22. The San Francisco Mile, a one-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and upward, will be run on Saturday, March 31. The early forecast calls for a sunny day.
“We’re hopeful for a good field and a competitive race this year,” said racing secretary Patrick Mackey.
Fans in attendance on San Francisco Mile Day will receive a San Francisco Mile Day cap, one per paid admission. The gates open at 10:00 AM and first post time is at 12:15 PM PST.
FINISH LINES: Jockey Rocco Bowen is “very sore” but otherwise OK after a spill following the running of The Camilla Urso Stakes last Saturday. Bowen was transported to Highland Hospital in Oakland after the incident and x-rays came back negative. Silvio Amador and Pedro Terrero, also unseated from their mounts in the same incident, were able to walk off the track under their own power…Runaway Ghost, winner of The Golden Nugget Stakes last fall, and Choo Choo, winner of The California Derby in January, are entered to compete in The $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park this Sunday. Choo Choo drew post 9 of 12 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer while Runaway Ghost drew the 11 hole for trainer Todd Fincher, who has a large string of horses in New Mexico…Happy birthday to patrol judge John Leon and jockey Billy Antongeorgi III, both who celebrate birthday’s this week…Best wishes go out to Bay Area media legend Sam Spear, who recently had minor surgery to repair a broken arm.