Belvoir Bay, Coniah meet again in Monrovia Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Belvoir Bay and Coniah are becoming familiar rivals in stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. They were first and fourth in the Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares March 25 and first and second against males in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on April 29.

Belvoir Bay has an apparent edge, but trainer William Morey is hopeful for a reversal with Coniah in Monday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes for fillies and mares at about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill.

The race has a $200,000 purse, the richest prize of Coniah’s current campaign. This time, Morey is hopeful that luck is on Coniah’s side. In the San Simeon, she bobbled at the start and did not take her customary position near the front under jockey Kent Desormeaux. Coniah was beaten two lengths by Belvoir Bay.

“Kent thought we could have had a run at the winner,” Morey said.

The Monrovia Stakes, which drew a solid field of 10, is the 10th and final race on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.

KEY CONTENDERS

Belvoir Bay, by Equiano
Last 3 Beyers: 96-94-92

◗ Belvoir Bay, who is expected to go favored, was always near the front in the San Simeon and drew away in early stretch to win by two lengths for her sixth stakes win and her third consecutive win on the hillside turf course.

◗ Trained by Peter Miller for Gary Barber and Team Valor International, Belvoir Bay is most effective as a stalker. She has won 3 of 4 starts on the hillside course.

“She loves the hill,” Miller said after the San Simeon.

“She’s one of my all-time favorites. She’s very big, not very wide, but she’s got a heart the size of the San Gabriel Mountains.”

Coniah, by Harlington
Last 3 Beyers: 91-92-99

◗ Coniah won the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes on the hillside turf course in January and was second in this race last year. Owned by breeders Tammy and James McKenney, Coniah will start from the inside post, which Morey said is not ideal.

“She’s a super hard-trying filly,” he said. “She did win from the one hole going back. It puts you in a tough spot going down the hill.”

◗ Coniah is most effective when she sets the pace and is likely to be in front Monday.

“I would think they’ll have to do deal with her early,” Morey said.

Ancient Secret, by Kantharos
Last 3 Beyers: 94-92-91

◗ Will be making her third start of the year and her third for trainer Phil D’Amato. After finishing fifth in the Mizdirection Stakes, beaten just three-quarters of a length by Belvoir Bay, Ancient Secret won an allowance race with a $75,000 claiming option on the hillside turf course April 21.

◗ Ancient Secret, who won the Grade 2 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga in 2016 when trained by Chad Brown, is a threat from off the pace.

Compelled, by War Front
Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-94

◗ Compelled has lost her last two starts in stakes around two turns but won the Mardi Gras Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds, her second stakes win and her first in a turf sprint.

◗ Trained by Tom Proctor, Compelled was fourth in the Dahlia Stakes at a mile on turf April 21 at Laurel.

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