Amy C and jockey Umberto Rispoli win the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes Saturday, October 29, 2022, at Santa Anita. (Benoit Photo)
Graded winners Leggs Galore, Canoodling also return from layoffs in a wide-open field
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Hillside turf course specialist Amy C will look to bag her second graded stakes win of the Classic Meet when she takes on 10 rivals over Santa Anita’s unique layout in Saturday’s Grade III, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Amy C has won two straight and is a perfect 3-for-3 on the hillside turf course. Her wins down the hill include most recently the Grade III Las Cienegas on Jan. 2 and the Senator Ken Maddy last October during the Autumn Meet.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli has been aboard for all three of Amy C’s win down the hill and will again be in the irons Saturday. Bred in England, Amy C is a 5-year-old mare by Charming Thought. She made her first two starts in France before moving to trainer Chad Brown in New York where she was a one-time allowance winner.
Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta, Amy C has banked $248,385 with a record of 5-1-0 in 10 starts.
Also exiting a stakes win down the hill is Freedom Flyer, who pulled a 7-1 upset under Frankie Dettori in the restricted Wishing Well on Feb. 18. She went gate to wire to win by a neck over Big Summer, who also returns in the Monrovia for trainer Carla Gaines.
Freedom Flyer will again have Dettori up Saturday. Trained by Leonard Powell and owned by Marsha Naify, the 5-year-old Constitution mare has a record of 21-4-5-4 with earnings of $272,120.
Graded winners Leggs Galore and Canoodling each return from layoffs for their seasonal bows. With a record of 9-3-1 in 18 starts, California-bred Leggs Galore has been a consistent performer for D’Amato and owner-breeder William J. Sims. She has not started since a close-up second in the Oct. 15 California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course.
Leggs Galore, a 6-year-old Bayern mare, has a bankroll of $694,548. She will have regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez in the stirrups.
Canoodling has not started since a fourth-place finish last May in the Grade I Gamely going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. Trained by Mike Puype, Canoodling also has a nose for the wire with a record of 8-1-2 in 17 starts. Her biggest wins were last year at Santa Anita in the Grade III Wilshire and Grade III Megahertz.
Owned by B4 Farms LLC, Canoodling is a 5-year-old mare by Pioneerof the Nile. She will have Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.
Also entered are Kirstenbosch and Awake At Midnyte, who are both exiting the Grade I Beholder Mile on the main track here March 11.
Kirstenbosch was fifth in the Beholder Mile one start after winning the Grade III La Canada at 1 1/16 miles on the main track here Jan. 15. She broke her maiden on turf going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita last April but has never navigated the hillside turf course.
Kirstenbosch is a 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly for owner-breeder Keith Abraham and trainer John Sadler. Jockey Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for her last three starts, again has the call on Saturday.
Awake At Midnyte was sixth in the Beholder Mile for trainer Doug O’Neill. She has one previous start on turf, a second in the 2021 Grade III Jimmy Durante going a mile at Del Mar. Awake at Midnyte is a 4-year-old Nyquist filly owned by Reddam Racing. She will have regular rider Mario Gutierrez in the saddle.
First post time for a 12 – race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.
