Becca Taylor Gets Second Graded Win in Great Lady M
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Becca Taylor captures the Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Three different rivals took runs at Becca Taylor throughout the 6 1/2 furlongs of the July 4 Great Lady M. Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos to no avail. Becca Taylor turned them all back to win her ninth race in 10 starts, only a nose away from being undefeated.
Becca Taylor typically runs on or near the pace, and when the gate opened, she and Brandon'smylawyer to her inside zipped out to the early lead, with Becca Taylor getting the first quarter-mile in :21.68. Going into the turn, Becca Taylor and jockey Juan Hernandez pulled away from Brandon'smylawyer, but Elm Drive and Samurai Charm were set to challenge them, Elm Drive on the outside and Samurai Charm on the rail.
Despite that one-two punch, Becca Taylor held them both off, scoring by two lengths while stopping the timer in 1:15.25. Samurai Charm finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Elm Drive. It was six lengths back to fourth-place Cover Version in the field of seven.
"It's funny," said Steve Miyadi, who trains Becca Taylor for owner-breeder Nick Alexander. "Her form doesn't look like she is real speed, but she is. One day she is going to break running and wow everyone—I hope."
Miyadi and Alexander have succeeded well with the 4-year-old California-bred filly by first running her through all of her Cal-bred conditions. They took advantage of a new rule at Santa Anita in 2021 that allows a Cal-bred to run back at the same condition on the opposite surface.
Becca Taylor broke her maiden in her racing debut, in late 2020 at Los Alamitos on dirt. She switched to turf the next month at Santa Anita, and then was able to run back in that same condition on dirt.
"It's a great test to see which they like the best and still run against Cal-breds," said Alexander after Becca Taylor then captured the 2021 Evening Jewel Stakes. "I love that rule."
It's especially good with a versatile filly like Becca Taylor, who has even succeeded twice on synthetic at Golden Gate Fields. This year, Becca Taylor added the Feb. 21 Spring Fever Stakes, like the Evening Jewel for Cal-breds and California-sired runners. Her only loss came in the March 19 Irish O'Brien Stakes, when Eddies New Dream got up late to beat her by a nose down Santa Anita's hillside turf course.
"That nose is going to haunt me for the rest of my life," said Miyadi.
That nose didn't deter Becca Taylor, though, who returned for two more wins—in an allowance race at Golden Gate and in the Desert Stormer Stakes (G3)—prior to the Great Lady M. Her record impressed bettors, who sent her off as the 7-10 Great Lady M favorite.
Alexander usually breeds to his own stallion Grazen , but he got Becca Taylor by breeding to Old Topper, a now-deceased stallion who stood at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, where Grazen stands. Becca Taylor is out of the General Meeting mare Lady Sax, a winner in her only start. The late trainer Mike Mitchell claimed Lady Sax out of that race for $32,000 for Alexander.
Alexander often names his runners for famous people in the military or baseball. This time he honored his niece Becca Taylor.
"She's just a very special girl," said Alexander. "She came over here from Hawaii, went to the University of Nevada, and got a degree in hotel management. She fell in love, got married, and moved back to Hawaii, where she was born."
Alexander sends photos to his niece, who with her friends follow the filly on social media as well. So far they haven't been disappointed, as the equine Becca Taylor now has earnings just shy of $500,000.