Fresh off a lifetime-best victory versus males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
Sprint on November 3, Mizdirection will attempt to run her record at 6 1/2
furlongs down Santa Anita’s Camino Real Turf Course to a perfect four-for-four
as she goes for a title defense in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000
Monrovia Stakes for older fillies and mares.
Owned in-part by sports-talk superstar Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing and trained
by Mike Puype, Mizdirection drew the outside post in a field of six. The
five-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast has had four works since her Breeders’ Cup
triumph, with her most recent drill on New Year’s Day going five furlongs on
turf in a bullet 1:00 1/5 around the dogs.
A winner of last year’s Monrovia under Garrett Gomez, Mizdirection will be
ridden Sunday by Mike Smith, who was aboard for the Breeders’ Cup win and has
never been beaten on her in three tries.
Although Mizdirection will be favored on Sunday, the Monrovia is certainly no
walkover. Trainer Gary Mandella will send out the speedy Kindle, who was an
impressive gate-to-wire winner of the Cool Air Stakes going six furlongs on turf
at Hollywood Park November 23, finishing 2 3/4 lengths in front of Broken
Dreams, who will also suit up on Sunday.
In her only try down the hill, Kindle opened up early by 5 1/2 lengths in the
Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes on October 20, finishing second, beaten a
half-length by Broken Dreams. The Indian Charlie five-year-old captured the
Bangles and Beads Stakes prior to that and will keep Edwin Maldonado, aboard for
the those three races, in the saddle on Sunday.
Trainer Tom Proctor will send out the afore-mentioned Broken Dreams, a Glen
Hill Farm homebred who sports a 4-2-2-0 mark over the course. The seven-year-old
Florida-bred daughter of Broken Vow could be making her final start on Sunday,
as she is due to be bred this spring. Besides successfully defending her title
in the Senator Ken Maddy, Broken Dreams also boasts a victory in the Osunitas
Stakes from last season.
Trainer Simon Callaghan has the highly regarded Byrama primed and ready for
the Monrovia. Originally scheduled to face males in this past Saturday’s Grade 3
Daytona, Byrama was scratched in favor of the Monrovia.
A winner of the Unzip Me Stakes down the hill on September 29, Byrama was a
fast finishing third, beaten three-quarters of a length as the 2-1 favorite, in
the Maddy. The British-bred daughter of Byron, who has a 3-2-0-1 mark down the
hill, will again be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.
Curvy Cat, a four-year-old Ministers Wild Cat filly who was third while
making her stakes bow in the Skillful Joy on December 1, and Givine, a
stakes-winning French-bred daughter of Blackdoun, complete the Monrovia field.
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