Mondego adds to successful weekend for McCarthy with Whittingham victory
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Mondego provided a West Coast segment to trainer Michael McCarthy’s successful weekend across the country with a win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita.
The McCarthy-trained Meaning finished a game second in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. On Saturday, McCarthy had two stakes wins at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard – the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint with Yellow Card, and Grade 1 American Turf Stakes with Stark Contrast.
Mondego ($7.60) closed from fourth in a field of five to win his second graded stakes of the year in the $200,000 Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
Ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, Mondego, the second choice in the betting, was timed in 1:59.99, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Jaramillo had Mondego in a stalking position behind 8-1 Balladeer, who set a fair pace of 23.99 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.18 for a half-mile.
Balladeer was challenged by 7-1 Flashiest at the end of the backstretch, with Mondego a close third. Flashiest took the lead on the turn, and was quickly challenged by Mondego.
Jaramillo said the absence of traffic in the small field helped Mondego.
“He’s a nice horse, beautiful,” Jaramillo said.
Mondego finished a half-length in front of Flashiest, who remained in contention after being passed in early stretch.
“The winner got a better trip that us because we had to chase the leader,” said Leonard Powell, Flashiest’s trainer.
The Padre, the 3-5 favorite, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last August, finished third. He raced two-wide on the turn to move near the front, but could not sustain the threat, losing by 1 1/2 lengths.
Hiding in Honduras finished fourth by two lengths, followed by Balladeer who faded through the stretch.
Seal Team was withdrawn on Saturday morning. Trainer Richard Mandella said he was unsatisfied with the results of Seal Team’s recent blood test.
Gold Phoenix was entered in the Whittingham and the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic. He finished a troubled seventh, beaten 8 ¾ lengths, in the $1.41 million Turf Classic.
Mondego, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding by Lope de Vega, has won 5 of 21 starts and earned $539,047. The Whittingham was the richest payday of his career, and his second stakes win. Mondego won the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf in February.
Owned by Cheyenne Stable, Mondego was third by 1 1/4 lengths behind Gold Phoenix and Flashiest in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita on March 21.
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