Queen Maxima. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Odds-on favorite Queen Maxima earned her first stakes win for trainer Jeff Mullins with a romping 3 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes going six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.
With Juan Hernandez aboard, Queen Maxima (1-5) enjoyed a ground-saving trip along the rail while tracking longshot pacesetter Ma Rae’s Girl (39-1) through fractions of 22.22 and 44.73 seconds for the opening half mile. Queen Maxima was eased out three-wide for racing room entering the stretch and then blew past the field to win easily in a time of 1:07.81.
Ma Rae’s Girl, ridden by Edwin Maldonado for trainer Doug O’Neill, finished second by 2 ¾ lengths over Laulne (6-1). Stay and Scam, the 5-1 second choice also trained by O’Neill, completed the superfecta.
Queen Maxima earned her third consecutive win in the Wishing Well, which is restricted to older fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes since Aug. 1. She previously won a first-level allowance going six furlongs on turf Dec. 29 at Santa Anita and came back to clear her second-level allowance condition sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita hillside turf course Jan. 31.
Hernandez has been aboard for all of Queen Maxima’s recent wins.
“She broke really good, and I was in a really good spot saving ground on the inside,” Hernandez said. “Jeff told me to ride her with confidence because she was ready to run. I trusted him and trusted my filly. Around the quarter pole I swung out. She is press button. You ask and she takes off in two jumps. She did the rest on her own.”
A 4-year-old Florida-bred filly by Bucchero, Queen Maxima improved to 7: 4-2-0 with $210,900 in earnings for owners Dutch Girls Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC. In her only previous stakes try, Queen Maxima was second in the Unzip Me Stakes last September sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
“She’s just been a good horse since we’ve had her,” Mullins said.
Queen Maxima paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Ma Rae’s Girl returned $12.40 and $6.40. Laulne, with Flavien Prat up for trainer Phil D’Amato, paid $3.40.
Mullins may now look at stretching Queen Maxima out in distance. Her only previous try around two turns came last September at Del Mar when making her second start.
“I tried stretching her out one time and I think she was a victim of circumstance,” Mullins said. “I ran her back too quick, and she pulled the whole way. I don’t really count that. I think she can go long. I think she can do pretty much anything Including racing on dirt if we ask her.”
“Last time when she ran six and a half down the hill she relaxed really well, she is really smart and a good filly. The barn is doing a really good job with her. She can go long; we just have to try it,” said Hernandez.
“I named her after the queen of the Netherlands, I’m Dutch, so it seemed appropriate,” explained part owner Michele Arthur. “She is a strong gal, so I thought it would be good. I was anxious since I woke up this morning. I don’t know why, because usually I’m very calm. But me and my partner in the horse, all day we have been so anxious. Jeff (Mullins) is fantastic. We never tell Jeff to do anything we just roll with whatever he thinks is best for the horse, he makes the best decisions.”
