Hard Not to Love to Defend Title in Santa Monica
Image:
Description:
Photo: Benoit Photo
Hard Not to Love wins the 2020 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Having missed the winner's circle during her 2021 debut in the Jan. 9 La Canada Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, 5-year-old Ontario-bred Hard Not to Love will return to the Southern California oval Feb. 13 where she will headline the field in the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2).
The 7-2 morning-line favorite, Hard Not to Love has two wins from three tries at the Santa Monica distance of seven furlongs, including last year's renewal. Trained by John Shirreffs and campaigned by Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney, the mare—who stamped herself a fan-favorite as she races with one eye—has been winless in her last five races, all routes.
She will partner with jockey Juan Hernandez from post 4.
A longshot winner of the opening day La Brea Stakes (G1), trainer Eoin Harty's Fair Maiden will meet Hard Not to Love on the field as she seeks to validate that victory with another win in the Santa Monica.
Sent off at odds of 20-1 in the La Brea, Fair Maiden rallied for an emphatic 2 1/4 length win, as a pair of Bob Baffert fillies, Golden Principal and Merneith, ran second and third, respectively. A homebred for Godolphin, Fair Maiden settled nicely when ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez in the La Brea. The win also provided Gonzalez, who shifted his tack from Golden Gate Fields to Southern California last year, with his first-ever grade 1 victory.
"I've been watching Ricky ride since he came down here, and I think he's the next superstar," said Harty following the La Brea. "He's brave and he puts his horse in a spot to win. I grab him every time I can because I think he's a world class rider ... "
Harty, a former assistant to Baffert, will have to again contend with Golden Principal and Merneith in the Santa Monica as well as another Baffert runner, Qahira, who will be making her second graded stakes appearance on Saturday.
Golden Principal, who was off at 12-1 in the La Brea, finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of her stablemate Merneith while neither were any match for Fair Maiden. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Golden Principal, a 4-year-old filly by Constitution , appears to be on the improve and will likely stalk the early pace with regular rider Mike Smith. The pair will leave from post 6.
Ridden by John Velazquez in the La Brea, Merneith will be ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado and will break from the rail. A 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah , Merneith is owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud.
Qahira enters the Santa Monica a one-length winner of the Jan. 10 Kalookan Queen Stakes at Santa Anita. The Cairo Prince mare, who is owned by the Baoma Corporation, made her only other stakes attempt in September of 2020 where she ran second in the Chillingworth Stakes (G3).
Joel Rosario will have the call in the Santa Monica from post 5.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 13, 2021, Race 8Entries: Santa Monica S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Merneith (KY)
Edwin A. Maldonado
120
Bob Baffert
5/1
2
2Miss Stormy D (KY)
Tyler Baze
120
Carla Gaines
20/1
3
3Fair Maiden (KY)
Ricardo Gonzalez
124
Eoin G. Harty
4/1
4
4Hard Not to Love (ON)
Juan J. Hernandez
120
John A. Shirreffs
7/2
5
5Qahira (KY)
Joel Rosario
120
Bob Baffert
4/1
6
6Golden Principal (FL)
Mike E. Smith
120
Bob Baffert
8/1
7
7Secret Keeper (KY)
Abel Cedillo
120
Clifford W. Sise, Jr.
12/1
8
8Amuse (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Richard E. Mandella
8/1
9
9Proud Emma (KY)
Geovanni Franco
122
Peter Miller
15/1
98
10Pharoah's Heart (FL)
SCRATCHED
0
UNKNOWN
-
10
11Biddy Duke (KY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
122
Doug F. O'Neill
12/1
11
12Bohemian Bourbon (KY)
Flavien Prat
120
Michael W. McCarthy
20/1
