ARCADIA, CA – With jockey Edwin Maldonado aboard for the first time, the speedy Merneith was a front-running winner of Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Merneith and her Bob Baffert stablemate Golden Principal (with Mike Smith aboard) dueled heads apart through fractions of :22.64 and :45.34 while Biddy Duke and Qahira (Baffert’s third entry) gave closest watch.
Merneith caught a breather thanks to her stablemates’ lack of pressure, covering the next 1/4-mile in :24.27 while straightening for home with a growing advantage.
Merneith crossed 2 1/4 lengths victorious at 9/1 odds, completing the 7-furlong fast dirt sprint in 1:22.28.
“At first, she broke good,” Maldonado said. “I looked over and I see Mike Smith and he was right next to me and I’m like, ‘Oh, what do I do? Should I let him go or no?’ But it worked out good. Mike stayed off of me and we both relaxed.”
Golden Principal was 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Qahira, while Biddy Duke stayed on for fourth.
Amuse, Proud Emma, the 2/1 favorite Hard Not to Love, Fair Maiden, and Secret Keeper completed the merry-go-round order of finish.
Miss Stormy D, Pharoah’s Heart, and Bohemian Bourbon were scratched.
Merneith’s win was her first at the graded stakes ranks and followed a strong third in last December’s La Brea Stakes (G1) over this same course and distance. The 4-year-old American Pharoah filly, purchased for $600,000 by Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, has now earned $357,900 with a record of 10-4-3-2.
“The one thing about Edwin is he’s probably one the best speed gate riders there is,” said Baffert, who also trained American Pharoah. “This filly, every time I run her, I expect to win and she gets beat. … She looks like American Pharoah to me; when she came in, she looked almost like a spitting image of him.”
Merneith returned $20.40 to win, $9.20 to place, and $5.80 to show. Golden Principal brought back $6.80 to place and $4.60 to show. Qahira paid $4.20 to show.
