Evening Jewel, Unzip Me clash in Monrovia

Evening Jewel will try Santa Anita’s downhill turf for the first time while facing course specialist Unzip Me (Benoit Photo) Sunday’s $100,000 Monrovia S. (G3) at Santa Anita shapes up as a battle between the ultra-consistent pair of EVENING JEWEL (Northern Afleet) and UNZIP ME (City Zip), who won or placed in all 17 of their combined starts in 2010. While Evening Jewel is accomplished from eight to nine furlongs on all types of surfaces, Unzip Me is a pure turf sprinter, and that specialization could give her the edge in this about 6 1/2-furlong scramble on the downhill course. Trained by Marty Jones, Unzip Me boasts a three-for-four career mark at the Monrovia course and distance, including victories in last year’s Las Cienegas H. (G3) and Irish O’Brien S. The speedy chestnut also garnered the Sen. Ken Maddy H. (G3) and Great Lady M. S. at Hollywood, as well as the Royal North S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine, while compiling a sparkling 8-6-0-2 record during her 2010 campaign. Moreover, Unzip Me’s two losses came at the hands of males — a close third in the Robert K. Kerlan Memorial H. and a rallying third in the November 6 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) last time out at Churchill Downs.

Unzip Me promises to burst right to the lead for Rafael Bejarano from the
middle of the eight-horse field in post 4.

The newly-turned four-year-old Evening Jewel warrants considerable respect on
the strength of her resume. The winner of the Ashland S. (G1), Del Mar Oaks
(G1), Honeymoon H. (G2) and San Clemente H. (G2) last season, the Jim Cassidy
filly was just denied by presumptive champion Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision) in
the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). Perhaps to avoid her nemesis in
the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1), Evening Jewel shortened up to seven
furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), her first one-turn
event since her juvenile days, and finished third.

Regular rider Victor Espinoza will guide Evening Jewel, the co-highweight
with Unzip Me at 123 pounds, from post 2 in her first attempt at the unique
course.

Evening Jewel will meet Blind Luck’s stablemate from the Jerry Hollendorfer
barn, LILLY FA POOTZ (Gilded Time), who cuts back in trip off a sixth in the
Matriarch S. (G1) and a ninth in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) two back. The
reformed claimer was in peak form at Del Mar last summer, capturing the Osunitas
S., just missing in the John C. Mabee S. (G2) and checking in third in the
Palomar H. (G2), and hopes that a change to the downhill will spark a revival of
fortune. Joel Rosario, who rode her to her graded stakes placings, regains the
mount.

LA NEZ (Storm Creek) scratched out of last Sunday’s La Brea S. (G1) on the
dirt in favor of this spot. The Eric Kruljac trainee has done her best work in
restricted stakes, most recently coming from off the pace to claim the October
30 California Cup Distaff H. over Hollywood’s turf. Nevertheless, La Nez has
also performed decently against graded rivals when third in the 2009 Del Mar
Debutante S. (G1) and runner-up in the Santa Paula S. (G3) in her 2010 bow. Joe
Talamo picks up the mount.

REBA IS TOPS (He’s Tops), seventh behind the ill-fated Tuscan Evening (Ire)
in this race last year, racked up her fourth stakes score in the November 26
Raise Your Skirts S. at Hollywood. In her prior outing, the seven-year-old
veteran had defeated the promising BROKEN DREAMS (Broken Vow), who came right
back to win an optional claimer convincingly for Tom Proctor. Broken Dreams,
runner-up to the talented Rose Catherine (Speightstown) in a Saratoga stakes
over Labor Day weekend, keeps Garrett Gomez in the saddle. The Bob Baffert-trained
GILDED GEM (Smarty Jones) exits a second-level allowance tally over Hollywood’s
Cushion Track and would be making her turf debut here.