Belvoir Bay Aims to Defend Monrovia Title

While the $200,000 Monrovia Stakes (G2T) conditions have changed a bit from 2018, Belvoir Bay is just as good, if not better. The 6-year-old Equiano mare will attempt to win the turf sprint a second straight year May 26 at Santa Anita Park.

The Monrovia, formerly contested on the hillside course at 6 1/2 furlongs, has been shortened to five furlongs. 

Last year, Gary Barber's quick bay runner forged between horses after a tracking trip to win the Monrovia. The nine-time stakes winner has experience at Santa Anita's shorter turf sprint distance, scoring a 4 3/4-length victory in the Feb. 16 Wishing Well Stakes at the California track.

Trained by Peter Miller, Belvoir Bay will make her first start since finishing between two of the top turf sprinters in the world, Blue Point and Stormy Liberal. Racing against the boys in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) March 30 at Meydan, Belvoir Bay finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Godolphin's Blue Point, who secured his second top-level win in the Al Quoz, and three-quarters of a length ahead of two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner and stablemate Stormy Liberal.

In preparation for Sunday's race, Belvoir Bay has worked five times since April 24 at San Luis Rey Training Center. Regular rider Flavien Prat will be aboard.

The expected field of 10 fillies and mares (one also-eligible is also entered) includes another Miller trainee in fine form in Altamira Racing Stable and Slam Dunk Racing's Painting Corners, a 5-year-old daughter of Pleasant Strike who won the five-furlong Mizdirection Stakes April 13 on the Santa Anita turf.

Miller isn't the only trainer who plans to send out multiple starters in the Monrovia; John Sadler has entered Hronis Racing's Ginger Nut and Lady Suebee. In her second U.S. start, Ginger Nut rallied from 10th to win the April 12 Limestone Turf Sprint Stakes at Keeneland. Three-time stakes-placed Lady Suebee will look to break through.

Trainer Richard Baltas will send out three contenders: Christopher Johnson's A Little Bit Me, a daughter of The Factor  who enters off a victory in the May 2 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs; Highland Yard and Ron McCauley's Flammetta, who won a pair of races down the hill last year; and Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, and Hagop Nakkashian's Gliding By, who enters off a clear victory in an April 26 optional-claiming allowance race.

Entries: Monrovia S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, May 26, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 5f
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Poster Girl (GB)	Evin A. Roman	121	Matthew Chew	10/1
2	2S Y Sky (CA)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Philip D'Amato	6/1
3	3Rocky Policy (MD)	Ruben Fuentes	121	Andrew Lerner	12/1
4	4Painting Corners (FL)	Joseph Talamo	121	Peter Miller	4/1
5	5Ginger Nut (IRE)	Rafael Bejarano	116	John W. Sadler	6/1
6	6A Little Bit Me (KY)	Geovanni Franco	121	Richard Baltas	6/1
7	7Flammetta (KY)	Norberto Arroyo, Jr.	121	Richard Baltas	30/1
8	8Belvoir Bay (GB)	Flavien Prat	121	Peter Miller	9/5
9	9Gliding By (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	121	Richard Baltas	15/1
10	10Lady Suebee (KY)	Victor Espinoza	121	John W. Sadler	15/1
11	11Spectator (KY)	Martin Garcia	121	Philip D'Amato	15/1