Santa Monica Aims for More Woodbine Success
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Jose Ortiz and Santa Monica after their victory in the Dance Smartly at Woodbine
As the regular rider of Santa Monica, Jose Ortiz has been impressed with her ability, but the reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey believes the daughter of Mastercraftsman delivered her best run to date at Woodbine.
That opinion has Ortiz looking forward to the $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) Oct. 13 where earlier this year she captured the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), rallying from last in that field of nine to secure her first North American graded stakes win. Like the Dance Smartly, the E.P. Taylor is contested at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
"She loves the distance and is in great hands with Chad Brown," said Ortiz, who has won 1,655 races as of Oct. 9. "I've liked this filly from the first time I rode her at Keeneland, but I feel her best race to date was at Woodbine, so I'm excited to ride her in the E.P. Taylor. She loved the course last time she won here."
Susan Magnier, Madaket Stables, and Deron Pearson's Santa Monica followed the Dance Smartly with a runner-up finish in the Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) behind Lady Montdore Sept. 1 on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course. Since that effort, she has worked four times in advance of Saturday's race.
Santa Monica is one of three fillies and mares entered by Brown in the E.P. Taylor. The champion trainer also plans to start Elysea's World, who enters off back to back grade 3 wins at Monmouth Park, and lightly raced Pollara, who will make her North American debut off a group 3 score in June at Chantilly.
Proctor's Ledge, a 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper trained by Brendan Walsh for Patricia Moseley, brings some serious credentials into the E.P. Taylor. The Kentucky-bred bay is a multiple graded stakes winner, including the grade 2 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes at Churchill Downs in May.
Starship Jubilee, an 11-time winner from 23 starts, will carry the hopes of Canada. Trained and co-owned (Soli Mehta shares ownership) by Woodbine-based Kevin Attard, the 5-year-old daughter of Indy Wind motors into the E.P. Taylor off an impressive 3 1/4-length victory in the grade 2 Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association Sept. 15.
It was the second consecutive triumph for the Florida-bred, who also won a 1 1/16-mile grass race Aug. 6 at Woodbine.
"She's obviously a very special horse to us because of what's she's done," Attard said. "A Sovereign champion (2017 top female turf horse) and to see her come from a claimer to a multiple graded stakes winner has been special to see. Not a big filly, but she's tackled some of the top turf fillies in North America and this weekend will have her biggest test to date.
"We feel very privileged and honored to be competing in a race of this magnitude. Some great fillies and mares have competed in the E.P. Taylor and gone on to be successful broodmares."
Woodbine, Saturday, October 13, 2018, Race 10Entries: E. P. Taylor S. (G1T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Sky Full of Stars (GER)
Adam Beschizza
124
Henk Grewe
15/1
2
2Santa Monica (GB)
Jose L. Ortiz
124
Chad C. Brown
5/2
3
3Pollara (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Chad C. Brown
6/1
4
4Sheikha Reika (FR)
Andrea Atzeni
120
Roger Varian
12/1
5
5Golden Legend (FR)
Alexis Badel
124
H. F. Devin
4/1
6
6Summer Luck (KY)
Eurico Rosa Da Silva
124
Mark E. Casse
20/1
7
7Starship Jubilee (FL)
Luis Contreras
124
Kevin Attard
8/1
8
8Elysea's World (IRE)
Joe Bravo
124
Chad C. Brown
7/2
9
9Proctor's Ledge (KY)
John R. Velazquez
124
Brendan P. Walsh
8/1
