Mondego notches first stakes with San Marcos
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ARCADIA, Calif. - Mondego needed nine attempts at five venues before he won the first stakes of his career in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Marcos at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita.
Winless in four starts since an allowance race at Del Mar last August, Mondego closed from fourth in a field of eight to win the $101,500 San Marcos by a length over 47-1 Flashiest, who ran a bold race to be in contention in deep stretch.
Truly Quality (9-2) closed from last to finish third, while Gold Phoenix, the even-money favorite, finished seventh.
Mondego, trained by Michael McCarthy, was timed in 2:00.06, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94, Mondego, who paid $21.20 as the fourth betting choice, was ridden for the first time in a race on Saturday by Emisael Jaramillo.
Jaramillo said he worked Mondego earlier this month, which gave him confidence in the 6-year-old gelding’s chances. Jaramillo positioned Mondego as a stalker on Saturday.
“The trainer told me to stay inside, third or fourth,” he said. “He said, in the stretch, ‘Go.’”
Twirling Point set a slow pace of 24.10 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.11 for a half-mile, leading by a half-length over Stay Hot, who led briefly in the stretch before being caught by Mondego, who rallied wide.
Truly Quality finished a head behind Flashiest. The winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar in 2024 and last November, Truly Quality was not a definite runner on Saturday until race day. Trainer Jonathan Thomas considered the San Marcos Stakes as a prep for the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf on March 21.
“It was an ideal prep,” Thomas said. “He was training too well not to run.”
Stay Hot finished fourth, followed by Endlessly, Twirling Point, Gold Phoenix and Grogu. Smooth Salute was scratched early Saturday.
Gold Phoenix was fifth on the turn, but posed no threat in the stretch, fading to lose by 3 1/2 lengths. The San Marcos was Gold Phoenix’s first start since he finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1, the best finish of an American-trained horse in that race.
Kazushi Kimura rode Gold Phoenix on Saturday for the first time since May 2023.
“I wish there would have been a good pace in the race,” Kimura said. Gold Phoenix “didn’t fire today.”
Mondego, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding by Lope de Vega, races for Cheyenne Stables and has won 4 of 19 starts. Mondego has earned $407,047.
Mondego was trained by Christophe Clement for his first 12 starts, including a third in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park in 2023.
Mondego was transferred to McCarthy in 2025. In four stakes appearances for McCarthy from late August to late December last year, Mondego’s best result was a fast-closing third in the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 28.
McCarthy said Mondego may return in the San Luis Rey Stakes.
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