Belvoir Bay makes it three straight in Monrovia Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Belvoir Bay won her third consecutive stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in Monday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes even though jockey Victor Espinoza had a moment of concern.

A very brief moment.

Espinoza had Belvoir Bay positioned behind the leaders when the field approached the crossing from the hillside portion of the course to the main oval. Espinoza felt Belvoir Bay was running strongly, but needed racing room.

“I was tracking the leaders,” he said. “I couldn’t move out and couldn’t move in. I was waiting for a little gap to appear.

“When she crossed the dirt, it was there.”

Belvoir Bay rallied between pacesetter Algorhthymic and Mongolian Shopper and quickly took the lead. She held an advantage by a length with a furlong to go and won by 1 1/2 lengths. Sent off favored, Belvoir Bay ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:12.80. She returned $5.60.

“I didn’t think she’d win that easy,” Espinoza said.

Ancient Secret, the winner of the Grade 2 Lake George Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga in 2016, finished second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of 7-1 Compelled, the winner of the Mardi Gras Stakes at Fair Grounds earlier this year.

Coniah finished fourth, followed by Blame It On Alphie, Mongolian Shopper, Algorhythmic, Causeway Carolyn, and Miss Sugars.

Belvoir Bay, a 5-year-old British-bred mare by Equiano, has won 9 of 20 starts and earned $558,361. Owned Gary Barber and the Team Valor International partnership and trained by Peter Miller, Belvoir ay is unbeaten in three starts this year. She won the Mizdirection Stakes on March 25 and the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes against males on April 29.

The Monrovia Stakes was her richest and most prestigious win and seventh career stakes win.

Espinoza rode Belvoir Bay for the first time on Monday. Espinoza said after the race that he worked Belvoir Bay earlier this year at Del Mar, but was unable to ride her because of an out-of-town commitment.

Tyler Baze rode Belvoir Bay in her first two starts this year, but has not ridden since May 19 because of body soreness from a one-horse spill. Baze is expected to resume riding at Santa Anita on Monday.