Tapwater Hopes to Land Stakes Glory in Monrovia

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Tapwater Hopes to Land Stakes Glory in Monrovia
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Tapwater (outside) falls just short of victorious Zero Tolerance in the Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita Park

LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Tapwater  has never won a stakes in her 17-start career despite being a consistent player over the last few years on the Southern California turf racing scene. The 6-year-old daughter of Tapit   has placed in four stakes, including a head defeat two starts back when second in the Jan. 9 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) in her lone hillside start.

The dashing gray, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, will look to be rolling late as she tackles a field of six older fillies and mares in the $200,000 Monrovia Stakes (G2T) April 9 at Santa Anita Park.

In her last effort, the Feb. 26 Wishing Well Stakes, Tapwater bobbled at the break and ran evenly to finish fifth, beaten only 2 3/4 lengths by Nick Alexander's Alice Marble , who returns in the Monrovia and is the race's 2-1 morning-line favorite. The Wishing Well, which was also run at 6 1/2 furlongs, was run out of the turf chute, however, and not on Santa Anita's downhill turf course.

Jockey Joe Bravo retains the mount Saturday on Tapwater.

Two Eastern invaders ship west to pursue the Monrovia prize.

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In sharp recent form at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Castleton Lyons' Brooke Marie  rallied from off the pace to take an ungraded stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf two starts back on Dec. 4 and she was most recently an even third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths in another ungraded stakes at the same distance on Jan. 29.

The 6-year-old Lemon Drop Kid  mare was a front-running winner of a classified allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf three starts back at Keeneland Oct. 28 and dating back to April 17 of last year, she's won three out of her last four, all at 5 1/2 furlongs on grass.

From the barn of Eddie Kenneally, Brooke Marie seeks her first graded win in the Monrovia. She has never raced in California.

South Florida-based trainer Brian Lynch ships west with 4-year-old filly Tobys Heart , a three-time ungraded stakes winner who has raced exclusively on turf in all 10 of her starts. Most recently eighth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths in the Tropical Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park, Tobys Heart has trained steadily at Palm Meadows Training Center.

A Kentucky-bred by the War Front   stallion Jack Milton  , Tobys Heart is out of the Lil's Lad mare Pick of the Pack . A three-time stakes winner sprinting, she was also a first-out maiden winner going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at age 2 at Churchill Downs. Easily the leading money earner in the field with $503,250, Tobys Heart is 4-1-1 in 10 starts.


Entries: Monrovia S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 09, 2022, Race 1

  • Grade II
  • About 6 1/2f
  • Downhill turf
  • $200,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 12:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Alice Marble (CA) Edwin A. Maldonado 120 Philip D'Amato 2/1
2 2Tobys Heart (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Brian A. Lynch 5/2
3 3Brooke Marie (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Juan J. Hernandez 120 Eddie Kenneally 7/2
4 4Cover Version (KY) Kyle Frey 120 Reed Saldana 15/1
5 5Tapwater (KY) Joe Bravo 120 Richard E. Mandella 3/1
6 6Royal Address (IRE) Drayden Van Dyke 120 Neil D. Drysdale 6/1