ARCADIA, Calif. – A well-bred, lightly raced filly owned and bred by a renowned international stable could deliver two favorable outcomes Saturday – the first Santa Anita stakes victory in more than two years for Juddmonte and a high-odds upset for bettors.
Marjoram is the least experienced runner in the Grade 3 Senorita, a hillside turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies. But after only two starts, she has given trainer Michael McCarthy and race-replay viewers reason to believe she is well above average. How good is Marjoram?
“Very good,” McCarthy stated, then backtracked slightly. “I should say, I have high hopes.”
So will many horseplayers on Saturday. Marjoram faces nine rivals in a deep renewal of the Senorita. Light Won Up, already a stakes winner on the hill, is the program favorite. The others are stakes winner Dreaming of Alys, likely pacesetter Still Unwritten, hillside winners Surfin U. S. A, and Mo’ Em Down, Euro import Bella Lyra, Revera, Yours Sincerely, and Will Happen.
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An upset by Marjoram in the Senorita would give Juddmonte its first Santa Anita stakes since fall 2023, when Elite Power won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Idiomatic the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on the same card.
“It would be nice to have some success for [Juddmonte],” McCarthy said. “They’re willing to stick their toe back in the water here [in California]. We’ve got a handful for them.”
McCarthy trains Juddmonte turf runner Detain, a European Group 1-placed 4-year-old expected to make his U.S. debut this spring or summer. McCarthy also trains the Juddmonte filly Couplet, whose promising third-place debut May 1 at Churchill Downs stamps her a potential maiden winner next out.
As for the Senorita, Marjoram is tough to like on figures and easy to like on replays. Sired by Quality Road and a full sister to Grade 3 turf-sprint winner Spiced Up, Marjoram overcame a horrible start to win her debut last fall on a sloppy track at Churchill.
A setback after shipping to Santa Anita postponed her second start until April 4. Favored in a hillside allowance, she broke slowly again. Marjoram went to her nose, nearly unseated jockey Juan Hernandez, and trailed by double digits. Marjoram rallied to finish fifth. She was best.
“Obviously tough to stomach a break like that, another [bad start],” McCarthy said. “You kind of just throw your hands up in the air. I don’t think she’ll break slowly this time. I think part of it was the way she was handled in the gate.”
If the allowance-race analysis is correct, that Marjoram would have won with a clean start, she is qualified to upset the Senorita. She is listed at 10-1 and likely to go shorter. But her odds are not likely to be as short as 8-5 program favorite Light Won Up.
Doug O’Neill trains Light Won Up, fourth last out in the Grade 3 Limestone at Keeneland. One-three finishers Cy Fair and Slay the Day, returned to finished one-two in the Grade 3 Mamzelle at Churchill. Light Won Up missed by only three lengths at Keeneland.
“I thought she ran lights-out,” O’Neill said, looking forward to the Senorita. “She’s coming out of a really live race, she trained well since she’s been back here at Santa Anita.”
Light Won Up’s rider is Antonio Fresu.
Surfin’ U. S. A. scored a decisive allowance win last out in a main-oval turf sprint, after which trainer Leonard Powell targeted the Senorita. She has not started in two months.
“We didn’t have anything to run in unless we shipped out of town, so we just freshened her up,” Powell said. “It was either wait for the [Senorita] against straight 3-year-olds, or go for 3-year-olds and up. I’d rather stay against straight 3-year-olds.”
Surfin’ U. S. A. is strangely listed at 30-1 on the artificial intelligence-generated morning line. Her price will be much lower. Armando Ayuso rides Surfin U. S. A.
Bella Lyra, stakes-placed in England on turf and synthetic, makes her U.S. debut for trainer Mark Glatt after a private purchase overseas. Bella Lyra arrived in California two weeks ago.
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“She breezed well here, so we expect her to run pretty well,” Glatt said. “She’s a pretty handy filly from what I’m told, looks like she’s pretty versatile.”
Ricky Gonzalez rides Bella Lyra.
Phil D’Amato entered Yours Sincerely and Dreaming of Alys, a route stakes winner making her first start in seven months. She will improve next out at a longer distance, while Yours Sincerely is ready to fire cutting back to a sprint.
“I think this is really her cup of tea, she likes the one turn,” D’Amato said. “She’s trained exceptionally well. Kyle Frey’s been breezing her the last three times. I really like the way she is training.”
The Senorita, the ninth and final race Saturday, leads to the $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes, a turf mile for 3-year-old fillies June 6.
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