Queen Maxima dominant on the Hillside Turf Course again, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Press
ARCADIA, CA — Queen Maxima earned her fifth stakes and third at the graded level when prevailing Sunday in the Grade III, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes for older fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita
Queen Maxima, ridden by Juan Hernandez, broke alertly and soon took up a stalking position in second behind pacesetter Princesa Moche. They would remain one-two until turning into the stretch and passing the dirt crossing. It was at that point Queen Maxima surged ahead of Princesa Moche and proceeded to beat that rival by a measured half-length on the wire. Spicybug (11-1) was another 1 ¾ lengths back in third followed by Egyptian Mau (8-1).
“She’s really good. She is really professional and we had a really good trip,” Hernandez said. “We broke from the inside and she was really fast out of the gate. I was able to get a good position in second, just tracking (Princesa Moche) in front of me. She loves that, she runs on the lead too, but when the other horse got the jump on me I decided to start tracking her. I was really comfortable all the race, I felt under my knees I had a lot of horse. I crossed the dirt and I waited a little bit longer and she put in a good run.
“She is so smart and knows where the wire is at.”
Trained by Jeff Mullins, Queen Maxima won in a time of 1:11.69 following fractions of 22.10, 44.15 and 1:05.88.
A 5-year-old mare by Bucchero, Queen Maxima is owned by Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures. Last year, Queen Maxima won the GIII Monrovia on the hillside turf course, the GIII Unbridled Sydney at Kentucky Downs, the Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita and the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Del Mar to close out the campaign on Oct. 31. She is now 13: 8-2-0 with more than $630,000 in earnings.
“Anybody who is involved in this game needs to experience a horse like this,” Mullins said. “This is something else. I mean this is a once in a lifetime horse. Juan works her every time and he gives her what he thinks she needs and I let him do his thing.”
Queen Maxima paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10. Princesa Moche returned $7.60 and $4.60. Spicybug, with Ricky Gonzalez up for trainer Michael McCarthy, paid $3.40.
Live racing resumes at Santa Anita Thursday with a special makeup card that was added following multiple cancellations earlier in the meet because of inclement weather. First post is 12:30 p.m. PT for a nine-race card.
