Hillside Sprinting Specialist Amy C Returns in Monrovia

Hillside turf course specialist Amy C  will look to notch her second graded stakes win of the Classic Meet when she takes on 10 rivals over Santa Anita Park's unique sprint layout April 8 in the $200,000 Monrovia Stakes (G3T).

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Amy C has won two straight and is 3-for-3 on the hillside turf course. Her wins down the hill include most recently the Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) Jan. 2 and the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes last October during the Autumn Meet.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli has been aboard for all three of Amy C's wins down the hill and will again be in the irons Saturday. Bred in England, Amy C is a 5-year-old mare by Charming Thought . She made her first two starts in France before moving to trainer Chad Brown in New York where she was a one-time allowance optional claiming winner.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta, Amy C has banked $248,385 with a record of 5-1-0 in 10 starts.

Also exiting a stakes win down the hill is Freedom Flyer , who pulled a 7-1 upset under Frankie Dettori in the restricted Wishing Well Stakes Feb. 18. She went gate to wire to win by a neck over Big Summer , who also returns in the Monrovia for trainer Carla Gaines.

Freedom Flyer will again have Dettori up Saturday. Trained by Leonard Powell and owned by Marsha Naify, the 5-year-old Constitution   mare has a record of 21-4-5-4 with earnings of $272,120.

Graded winners Leggs Galore  and Canoodling  each return from layoffs for their seasonal bows. With a record of 9-3-1 in 18 starts, California-bred Leggs Galore has been a consistent performer for D'Amato and owner-breeder William J. Sims. She has not started since a close-up second in the Oct. 15 California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course.

Leggs Galore, a 6-year-old Bayern  mare, has a bankroll of $694,548. She will have regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez in the stirrups.

Canoodling  has not started since a fourth-place finish last May in the Gamely Stakes (G1T) going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. Trained by Mike Puype, Canoodling also has a nose for the wire with a record of 8-1-2 in 17 starts. Her biggest wins were last year at Santa Anita in the Wilshire Stakes (G3T) and Megahertz Stakes (G3T).

Owned by B4 Farms, Canoodling is a 5-year-old mare by Pioneerof the Nile . She will have Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.

Also entered are Kirstenbosch  and Awake At Midnyte , who are both exiting the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) on the main track at Santa Anita March 11.

Entries: Monrovia S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 08, 2023, Race 10

• Grade III
• About 6 1/2f
• Downhill turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:53 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Elm Drive (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	124	Philip D'Amato	15/1
2	2Awake At Midnyte (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
3	3Canoodling (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Mike Puype	5/1
4	4Tom's Beauty (KY)	Hector Isaac Berrios	120	Jeff Mullins	12/1
5	5Stella Noir (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	120	J. Keith Desormeaux	15/1
6	6Kirstenbosch (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	124	John W. Sadler	15/1
7	7One Silk Stocking (MD)	John R. Velazquez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	10/1
8	8Amy C (GB)	Umberto Rispoli	124	Philip D'Amato	7/2
9	9Big Summer (CA)	Joe Bravo	122	Carla Gaines	5/1
10	10Leggs Galore (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	124	Philip D'Amato	4/1
11	11Freedom Flyer (KY)	Lanfranco Dettori	122	Leonard Powell	6/1