ARCADIA, Calif. – A solid second in the Grade I Beholder Mile on March 5, Phil D’Amato’s venerable 6-year-old mare Miss Bigly rates top billing among a field of nine older fillies and mares going a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita.
A 1 ¼ length winner of the Grade III Bayakoa Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth two starts back at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 12, Miss Bigly, a Kentucky-bred mare by Gemologist out of the Citidancer mare Miss Puzzle, has won four out of her 12 starts with D’Amato, dating back to a third place allowance finish here at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, 2021.
With a win, a second and two thirds from four Santa Anita starts, Miss Bigly was a solid second in her only try at a mile and one eighth, that coming in an ungraded stakes at Thistledown seven starts back on June 26, 2021.
Owned by Agave Racing Stable, Living the Dream Stables, LLC and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, Miss Bigly, in search of her second career graded stakes win, is 27-8-5-8 with earnings of $741,242.
Hronis Racing’s Park Avenue, fresh off a stirring 2 ¾ length gate to wire allowance win at a mile and one eight on turf March 20, rates a huge chance with Juan Hernandez back aboard. Trained by John Sadler, Park Avenue, a 4-year-old filly by Quality Road out of the Indian Charlie mare Remarkable, posted consecutive five length victories at one mile on dirt prior to finishing a well beaten second by 13 ½ lengths in the Grade III La Canada Stakes three starts back on Jan. 1.
Subsequent to the La Canada, she was fourth, beaten 12 ¼ lengths in the Grade II Santa Monica Stakes going seven furlongs on Feb. 5, hence the shift to turf on March 20. With her connections hoping the grass triumph will serve as a confidence booster, Park Avenue returns to the main track in search of her first graded stakes win. With an overall mark of 9-3-3-1, she has earnings of $199,900.
A winner of the Grade I Starlet Stakes as a juvenile on Dec. 5, 2020, Baoma Corp’s Varda came back off of a 16-month layoff to run third, beaten 9 ¼ in the Grade I Beholder Mile here on March 5. Trained by Bob Baffert to a 4-2-1-1 mark, Varda, a 4-year-old Distorted Humor filly, will make her first start for Sean McCarthy and be reunited with Drayden Van Dyke, who guided her to a pair of wins and one second place finish at age two.
THE GRADE II SANTA MARGARITA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 10 of 12 Approximate post time 5:30 p.m. PT
- Lisette–Mario Gutierrez–120
- Bellamore–Victor Espinoza–120
- Blue Stripe–Tyler Baze–122
- Park Avenue–Juan Hernandez–120
- Midnight Jamboree–Mike Smith–120
- Sharapova–Abel Cedillo–120
- Varda–Drayden Van Dyke–120
- Bye Bye Bertie–Diego Herrera–120
- Miss Bigly–Ramon Vazquez–122
First post time for a 12-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo: Miss Bigly (Benoit Photo)
