Brooke Marie ships west, finds gold in Monrovia Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – The limited availability of graded stakes for female turf sprinters caused trainer Eddie Kenneally, like Horace Greeley years ago, to go west, and on Saturday his mare Brooke Marie got the gold medal in the Golden State.

Brooke Marie, making her first start west of New Orleans, collared pacesetting Alice Marble at midstretch, then staved off repeated bids from that rival in the closing yards to win the Grade 2, $200,500 Monrovia Stakes to kick off the Santa Anita Derby card.

Brooke Marie ($11.20) prevailed by a half-length over Alice Marble, with Toby’s Heart, another invader, another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Royal Address, Tapwater, and Cover Version completed the order of finish.

“She was a listed winner, but we really wanted to get a graded placing for her,” Kenneally, speaking by phone from Kentucky, said of the reasons to ship for the Monrovia. “There aren’t many graded stakes for fillies and mares sprinting on turf. We thought we had to go. Took a shot. Hoping for 1-2-3. Getting this graded stakes win for her is huge for breeding.”

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Brooke Marie, 6, is by Lemon Drop Kid out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Mamasez. Kenneally is her third trainer, and she’s had several absences that have limited her to just 15 starts, but she’s in career-best form. This was her third win in four starts for Kenneally, the previous victories coming at Keeneland and Fair Grounds.

Keeneland is where the Breeders’ Cup is this year, and Kenneally said Brooke Marie will remain in training through the year, “eyeing the Breeders’ Cup in the fall.”

Alice Marble got away with a soft pace in the Monrovia of 23.05 seconds coming down the hillside course, but Juan Hernandez, aboard Brooke Marie, was cognizant of the situation and had Brooke Marie right with her.

“On paper it looked like the only speed horse was the one,” Hernandez said, referring to Alice Marble. He said Brooke Marie handled her first time crossing the dirt at the top of the stretch without incident, and went right on with it.

Brooke Marie completed about 6 1/2 furlongs on the firm course in 1:13.42. She has now won six times in 15 starts, and she now has career earnings of $408,730. She won the Pan Zareta at Fair Grounds in December, beating course specialist Elle Z.

Kenneally trains her for Castleton Lyons.

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