Amaranth Takes Off-Turf Ken Maddy

By Jerry Bossert

Amaranth recorded the biggest win of her career when she held off favored Velvet Mesquite to take the $100,250 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Santa Anita Park Nov. 1, Breeders' Cup Saturday morning . It was also the first win at Santa Anita for trainer O.J. Jauregui.

Originally scheduled for the grass, the Senator Ken Maddy was moved to the main track to protect the turf course for the Breeders' Cup races after overnight rains fell on Friday.

Breaking alertly under jockey Dennis Carr, Amaranth battled with Velvet Mesquite through a half-mile in :44.03 before taking the lead on the far turn. The 3-year-old Mr. Greeley filly turned for home in front with Velvet Mesquite in hot pursuit and got to the wire first, scoring by a half length, covering the6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.07 over the main track that was upgraded to fast for the race.

"With her it's pretty straight forward, literally," Carr said. "She's so fast out of the gate that the hardest thing with her is getting her to relax the first part. I almost did about half way down the backside until Mike Smith's filly (Velvet Mesquite) kind of ran up inside me. I had no other choice but to let her out a bit. I had to let her out to make her relaxed, if that makes sense, to get away from the other filly."

Fanticola rallied from last in the six-horse field up the rail to be third, beaten just a length and a half-length. Warm Breeze, Llandudno and On the Backstreets completed the order of finish as eight other horses scratched out of the race once it was moved to the main track.

"Around the turn she almost dropped the bit on me," Carr said. "She did that same thing with me at Pleasanton and when I got that from her again today I knew exactly what she was doing. The biggest thing with her (Amaranth) is to get her to relax in the first part of the race. I've ridden her enough, so I know her tendencies pretty well."

Amaranth now has won four of nine career starts for owner Lindsay Laroche of Highland Yard, and upped her earnings to $178,820 with the victory. She returned $7.80, $3.80, and $2.60 as the second choice in the wagering. Velvet Mesquite paid $3.80 and $2.60, while Fanticola returned $2.80.

"The whole key was the break," Jauregui said. "I wanted her to break easy and hopefully get a little breather, and she did that. Down the lane, she kicked on. I'm from Los Angeles and been training 10 years, but this is my first win at Santa Anita."

The winner was a $150,000 purchase at the 2013 April Ocala Breeding Sale.

"We thought she was special when we paid $150,000 for her," Laroche said. "Then we thought she wasn't special when she did nothing as a 2-year-old. After the long winter, she came back and O.J. got her to be calm and settle down and she's got four wins this year."

Prior to her win in the Senator Ken Maddy, Amaranth's biggest victory came in the $56,515 Betamerica.com Oaks June 22 at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting. She was bred in Kentucky by H. Allen Poindexter and Machmer Hall and is out of the stakes mare Shedoesrock.