Becca Taylor stands out in Great Lady M. Stakes
CYPRESSS, Calif. – The first impressions could not have gone better.
Becca Taylor won her graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at six furlongs by 2 1/2 lengths on June 4 at Santa Anita, the first time she was ridden by Juan Hernandez.
Elm Drive won her 3-year-old debut in the Angels Flight Stakes at seven furlongs by 2 1/4 lengths on May 8 at Santa Anita.
Those wins were prep races for Monday’s Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos.
Hernandez, the leading rider at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting earlier this year, was encouraged by the style of Becca Taylor’s win in the Desert Stormer, her eighth victory in nine starts. Becca Taylor was always near the front through a rapid pace and pulled clear to win easily as the 3-5 favorite.
“I remember she broke really sharp,” Hernandez recalled Saturday. “The inside horse was chasing me and I let her go.
“I felt the pace was fast. We were flying that day, but she was doing it on her own.”
After a half-mile in 43.85 seconds, Becca Taylor was in control of the race from Hernandez’s perspective.
“I was waiting for the stretch,” Hernandez said.
Becca Taylor, who races for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi, won her third stakes in the Desert Stormer in a career that began in late 2020. Until the Desert Stormer, Hernandez was limited to admiring Becca Taylor aboard a trailing horse or from the jockeys’ room televisions.
“She’s really nice,” Hernandez said. “I’ve watched her a lot of times. She beat me a couple of times. She’s the kind of filly that knows what to do.”
Elm Drive is one of three 3-year-old fillies in a field of seven in the $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes, along with recent allowance race winner Brandon’smylawyer and Ain’t Easy, who was a well-beaten third in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in April.
Elm Drive drew the outside post for her sixth start. She will be ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, who gained the mount from Hernandez when Elm Drive returned to racing this year after a wintertime break.
The Great Lady M. Stakes will be Elm Drive’s debut against older fillies and mares.
“I like how she’s progressed since her last race,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “I see her going forward physically and mentally. She drew a nice post, and we’ll see where we stand.”
Through late May and June, Elm Drive had a steady pattern of solid works, including six furlongs in 1:12 on June 27 at Santa Anita. The Great Lady M. Stakes will be Elm Drive’s first start at Los Alamitos since an eight-length win in a maiden special weight race in June 2021.
The Great Lady M. Stakes is the graded stakes debut for Brandon’smylawyer, who is quick enough to lead. Brandon’smylawyer will have her debut on dirt in the Great Lady M.