Tuscan Evening tops Monrovia

Tuscan Evening is using the Monrovia as a prep for the January 31 Santa Monica on Pro-Ride (Benoit Photo) Multiple Grade 2 winner TUSCAN EVENING (Ire) (Oasis Dream [GB]) will carry the top weight of 121 pounds in Sunday’s $100,000 Monrovia H. (G3) at Santa Anita. The Jerry Hollendorfer mare rates as the class of the 11-distaffer field, but is still searching for her first stakes victory over the about 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course. Tuscan Evening showed a high level of talent in her native Ireland, finishing a close second in the 2008 Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) before being disqualified and placed fourth. She didn’t manage to break her maiden, however, until coming to Southern California last winter. The bay crushed maiden rivals in her American debut and promptly followed up with an impressive allowance score, both over the Monrovia course. In her only subsequent starts on the downhill turf, Tuscan Evening checked in third in the Las Cienegas H. (G3) on Easter and held that same spot in the October 17 Senator Ken Maddy H. (G3). The newly-turned five-year-old enjoyed more notable success at a mile last season. In addition to capturing the Royal Heroine Mile (G2) and Las Palmas H. (G2), she beat everyone but the startling Ventura in the November 28 Matriarch S. (G1) last out.

Tuscan Evening, who will break from post 8 beneath a returning Rafael
Bejarano, will meet a couple of familiar opponents on Sunday. PASAR SILBANO
(Ire) (Elnadim), the Maddy runner-up, enters off a two-month freshening for
James Cassidy. The speedy four-year-old is a horse-for-the-course, having landed
the La Habra S. (G3) early in 2009. Tuscan Evening wasn’t able to run her down
in the Maddy, and must lift her game to do so here.

REBA IS TOPS (He’s Tops) also got the better of Tuscan Evening last campaign
when runner-up in the Las Cienegas, just missing to the accomplished Gotta Have
Her (Royal Academy), but failed to duplicate that performance with an
uncharacteristic sixth in the Maddy. Reba Is Tops has since rebounded with two
solid efforts and is eligible to give a better account of herself Sunday.
Four-time stakes winner QUEEN OFTHE CATSLE (Tale of the Cat) is another
divisional mainstay who looms as a prime contender, if she reverts to her best
form. The Howard Zucker mare garnered the 2008 Maddy, but was a non-threatening
eighth in her title defense.

Three intriguing entrants are turning back in distance. LEMON CHIFFON (Lemon
Drop Kid) has finished second in the 1 3/8-mile C.T.T. and Thoroughbred Owners
of California H., fourth in the 1 1/4-mile Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) and third in
the 1 1/8-mile Cardinal H. (G3) in her last three. The lightly-raced
four-year-old HERMIONE’S MAGIC (GB) (Systematic) was most recently a rallying
third in the one-mile Starine S. LUCKY COPY (Unbridled’s Song), a front-running
winner of the 2008 Hatoof S., comes off a tiring ninth in the Bayakoa H. (G2)
going two turns on Cushion Track for Todd Pletcher.

Four races earlier on Sunday’s card, FREE FLYING SOUL (Quiet American) will
seek to continue her marked progress in the $60,000

Kalookan Queen H. over 6 1/2 Pro-Ride furlongs. The Bruce Headley mare
rapidly developed into a top-class sprinter last fall, her victories in the
Louis R. Rowan S. and Winter S. bookending a game third in the Breeders’ Cup
Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Mike Smith will pilot the 121-pound highweight.

Among her six opponents are reigning Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint
heroine HIGH RESOLVE (Put It Back), who returns from a seven-month layoff for
Greg Gilchrist; the streaking U R ALL THAT I AM (Valid Wager), who racked up her
fourth win in a row in the Cat’s Cradle H. last out; turf stakes veteran PORTO
MARMAY (Ire) (Choisir), trying synthetic for the first time; and Remington Park
Filly & Mare Sprint S. queen NADESHIKO (Honour and Glory), making her debut for
John Sadler.