Take a Breath tops deep graded stakes field, Benoit Photo
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Santa Anita Press
ARCADIA, CA —Take A Breath, winner of last month’s GIII Santa Ana Stakes, and graded stakes winner May Day Ready—a new arrival to California for trainer Richard Mandella—headline a competitive cast set to go Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita. The Royal Heroine is for fillies and mares at one mile on turf.
In the Santa Ana, also at one mile on turf, Take A Breath rallied to win by a nose to earn her first stakes victory. Trained by Mark Glatt, Take A Breath is a 4-year-old filly by Bated Breath who spent her first two seasons racing in her native England. Prior to the Santa Ana, Take A Breath was fourth in the GI American Oaks. She is owned by Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners. She’ll be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, who was also aboard in the Santa Ana.
May Day Ready joined the Mandella barn after previously being based in the east with trainer Joseph Lee. The 4-year-old filly by Tapit hasn’t started since October when finishing off the board in the GII Valley View at Keeneland. Previously in 2025, May Day Ready won the GII Lake Placid going one mile on turf at and was fourth in the GI Belmont Oaks, both at Saratoga.
Owned by KatieRich Stables, May Day Ready as a 2-year-old won two stakes including the GII Jessamine at Keeneland prior to finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. With a record of 10: 4-1-1 and $1,306,776 in earnings, May Day Ready will be ridden by Antonio Fresu for her local debut.
Grand Slam Smile, an ultra-consistent California-bred mare, gets another crack at a graded stakes victory for trainer Sean McCarthy. In February, Grand Slam Smile tried the GII Buena Vista at one mile on turf at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old daughter of Smiling Tiger set the pace that day before getting passed in the stretch by the well-regarded Thought Process to finish second.
Owned by breeders Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams, Grand Slam Smile is 18: 11-6-2 with $912,120 in earnings. She’ll have regular rider William Antongeorgi III in the irons.
THE GRADE III ROYAL HEROINE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 9 – Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT
1. Innovative—Ricky Gonzalez—120
2. Tirupati—Kazushi Kimura—124
3. A Thousand Miles—Mike Smith—122
4. Ripassare—Armando Ayuso—120
5. May Day Ready—Antonio Fresu—124
6. Rosie Jeeks—Florent Geroux—120
7. Watchtower—Welfin Orantes—124
8. Take A Breath—Emisael Jaramillo—124
9. Grand Slam Smile—William Antongeorgi III—122
