Megahertz Preview: Chilean G1 Winner Brooke Has Shot in North American Debut

ARCADIA, CA – El Tata Stables’ Chilean G1 winner Brooke has a shot to win her North American debut in Monday’s $100,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The Megahertz is a 1-mile turf route restricted to fillies and mares ages 4 and up. This year’s edition is the seventh event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 3:37 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Megahertz:

1. Brooke 4/1 – The Chilean-bred daughter of globally-successful turf sire No Nay Never appears for Callaghan, who hits at % with debuting experienced runners and % with North American first-timers. Unraced since March 2020 when ninth in a Chilean G2, she won 2019’s Las Oaks (G1) back home and her former regular rider Jeremy Laprida is in town just for her.

“She’s been training very forwardly,” Callaghan said. “I’ve had her for three or four months. The owners thought she would like the firm turf in California, which is why they sent her here. … (Laprida has) ridden her in Chile and the owners wanted him for her first race here.”

2. Colonial Creed 7/2 – The first of two entries from the Richard Baltas barn was supplemented into the field, an interesting note considering Baltas co-owns her and thus had to help pay the extra fee so she could enter. It’s especially noteworthy since she finished last in the local 1 1/8-mile Frankel Stakes (G3) in her most recent start, but cutting back could help here.

3. Lucky Peridot 8/1 – She will scratch after cross-entering in Sunday’s 1 1/2-mile Astra Stakes (G3).

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4. Mucho Unusual 9/5 – She went gate to wire here last September in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1), which punched her free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). Forgive her for finishing 12th against the world’s best grass females; she returned less than 2 months later to win the Frankel against a similar group talent-wise and is easily the class of the field.

5. Ippodamia’s Girl 8/1 – Baltas’ second entry makes her long-awaited return to the races after going unraced since finishing third in the local Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3) on the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Saturday undercard. She won the 2017 Blue Norther Stakes over this course and  Baltas hits at 22% with runners returning from layoffs of at least 1 year.

6. Sedamar 5/2 – The Ruis Racing homebred was a threat in each of her 4 stakes tries last summer and fall, including runner-up efforts in the Fran’s Valentine and the Solana Beach against fellow California-breds. She finished fourth in both tries against open company rivals, but she isn’t exactly facing the saltiest field in her graded debut.

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