Comebacking Queen Goddess Aims for Frankel Stakes Crown

Idle since mid-May, the Michael McCarthy-trained Queen Goddess , an off-the-turf grade 1 winner a year ago, heads a wide-open field of 11 fillies and mares three and up, going 1 1/8 miles on grass in the $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park Dec. 31.

A 4-year-old filly by Empire Maker , Queen Goddess, most recently second going 1 1/2 miles on turf in the Santa Barbara Stakes (G3T) May 14, will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.  A winner of the Santa Ana Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/4 miles on turf two starts back March 26, Queen Goddess thus has a win and a second-place finish from two tries over the Santa Anita lawn.

Switched to the main track due to wet conditions in last year's American Oaks (G1), Queen Goddess won in gate-to-wire fashion by Queen Goddess at 14-1.  Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, Queen Goddess is 4-2-1 overall in nine starts with earnings of $410,580. 

A winner of the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at 1 1/8 miles over the Del Mar turf three starts back on Sept. 10, trainer Leonard Powell's French-bred Avenue de France , a three-time stakes winner this year, comes off a fifth-place effort going one mile on turf in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar Dec. 4 and will get the first-time services of Frankie Dettori.

A dedicated deep closer, Avenue de France has had a terrific year at age 5, posting a 10-3-2-1 mark with 2022 earnings of $379,004. Owned by Benowitz Family Trust, Convergence Stables, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Mathilde Powell, Avenue de France is 8-2-5 in 24 races with earnings of $537,066.

Trained by John Shirreffs, classy England's Rose  comes off a troubled second going one mile over the Del Mar turf in the Matriarch and would appreciate a fast pace to exploit as she stretches out a furlong in the Frankel with regular rider Victor Espinoza.

A restricted stakes winner and three-time graded placed, England's Rose seeks her first graded victory in what could be her final dance at age 6.  A 1 1/8 mile turf maiden special weight winner over the course Jan. 3, 2021, England's Rose, a daughter of English Channel  owned by Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney, is 3-4-1 in 12 starts and has made $297,940.

Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Burgoo Alley , although beaten as the 3-2 favorite in a restricted one-mile turf stakes at Del Mar Nov. 12, retains the services of Flavien Prat and will likely press the early pace on Saturday.  Winless in five starts this year, 4-year-old Burgoo Alley took Santa Anita's  Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) seven starts back on Oct. 30, 2021, but has been winless in six starts since.

With two wins and one third-place finish from six starts over the Santa Anita turf, Burgoo Alley, who is owned by Agave Racing Stable and Living the Dream Stables is 3-2-1 in 15 races with earnings of $204,974.

Entries: Robert J. Frankel S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, December 31, 2022, Race 3

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Warrens Candy Girl (CA)	Umberto Rispoli	123	Craig Anthony Lewis	-
2	Bipartisanship (GB)	Juan J. Hernandez	123	H. Graham Motion	-
3	Burgoo Alley (IRE)	Flavien Prat	125	Philip D'Amato	-
4	New Heat (CA)	Geovanni Franco	121	Anthony K. Saavedra	-
5	England's Rose (KY)	Victor Espinoza	123	John A. Shirreffs	-
6	Scarabea (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	121	Eoin G. Harty	-
7	Closing Remarks (CA)	Joe Bravo	123	Carla Gaines	-
8	Island of Love (IRE)	Ramon A. Vazquez	123	Philip D'Amato	-
9	Avenue de France (FR)	Lanfranco Dettori	125	Leonard Powell	-
10	Queen Goddess (KY)	John R. Velazquez	125	Michael W. McCarthy	-
11	Quattroelle (IRE)	Hector Isaac Berrios	123	Jeff Mullins	-