ARCADIA, Calif.–Fresh off a big sophomore campaign and back on turf, Irish-bred Burgoo Alley heads a field of eight older fillies and mares going a flat mile on grass in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita. Benjamin and Sally Warren’s hard knocking homebred Warren’s Showtime looms dangerous as she gets back to her best distance and bids for her third graded stakes victory. English-bred Bodhicitta, fresh of a second place finish in a Grade III stakes here on Jan. 1, gets reunited with Flavien Prat and rates a big chance. A two-time graded stakes winner, Kaleem Shah’s classy Madone will hope to be flying late from off the pace.
Although distanced at long odds going a mile and one quarter on dirt in the Grade I American Oaks here on Dec. 26, Burgoo Alley, who is trained by a red hot Phil D’Amato, need only run back to her win going a flat mile on turf in the Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes Oct. 30 to have a big look at the Megahertz.
With regular rider Umberto Rispoli committed to ride at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Victor Espinoza will be aboard 4-year-old Burgoo Alley for the first time. Winless in three starts in Ireland, Burgoo Alley has won three of her seven starts for D’Amato and is two for three at one mile on turf.
Owned by CYBT, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, Burgoo Alley, who earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in her Autumn Miss win, will likely press the pace as she seeks her second graded stakes victory. With a 10-3-2-1 overall mark, she has earnings of $170,830, with nearly $169,000 of that earned with D’Amato last year.
The lone California-bred in the field and the leading money earner with $823,431, the Craig Lewis-trained Warren’s Showtime comes off a fourth place finish going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf and should relish a flat mile on Saturday. Remarkably consistent with an overall mark of 25-8-4-10, Warren’s Showtime is a seven-time stakes winner over the Santa Anita turf and will be paired for the 13th consecutive time with Juan Hernandez.
Second, beaten 3 ¼ lengths going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade III Robert J. Frankel Stakes here Jan. 1, Bodhicitta is well seasoned for trainer Richard Baltas and has proven effective over the Santa Anita turf, evidenced by her 3-2-1 mark from seven starts here.
Although winless in seven starts since taking the Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap in August 2020 at Del Mar, 6-year-old Bodhicitta has kept good company and rates a huge chance shortening up a furlong on Saturday.
Owned by Calvin Nguyen, Bodhicitta will be ridden for the first time since the Yellow Ribbon by Flavien Prat, who has guided her to victory in four out of his six engagements with her. English-bred, Bodhicitta was winless in seven starts in Ireland prior to joining the Baltas stable in the summer of 2019.
With an overall mark of 22-4-5-3, Bodhicitta has earnings of $364,808.
Seventh, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Burgoo Alley in the Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes Oct. 30, trainer Simon Callaghan’s classy Madone, a dedicated deep closer, will be ridden for the first time by Joe Bravo, who will hope for a quick pace. Owned by Kaleem Shah, Inc., Madone has five wins from seven tries at one mile on turf and is two for four over the Santa Anita lawn.
With earnings of $368,300, Madone, a 4-year-old filly by the Medaglia d’Oro stallion Vancouver, is 10-5-0-0 overall.
THE GRADE III MEGAHERTZ WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Avenue de France–Drayden Van Dyke–122
- Warren’s Showtime–Juan Hernandez–122
- Madone–Joe Bravo–122
- Bodhicitta–Flavien Prat–120
- Kuora–Ricardo Gonzalez–120
- Sloane Garden–Kyle Frey–120
- Burgoo Alley–Victor Espinoza–124
- Canoodling–Roimes Chirinos–120
The Megahertz is one of three graded stakes on Saturday, with first post time at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo: Burgoo Alley (Benoit Photo)
