Monrovia a better option for Illuminant

ARCADIA, Calif. – Illuminant easily could be among the entries for Saturday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita, a race she won in 2016.

As the race approached, the alternative of starting in Saturday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita had greater appeal to owner Aron Wellman of the Eclipse Thoroughbred partnership and trainer Michael McCarthy.

The Monrovia field does not include the New York-based star turf mare Lady Eli, who will be a heavy favorite in the Gamely. Jockey Flavien Prat will ride Illuminant in the $200,000 Monrovia. He is booked to ride Avenge in the Gamely.

“Aron Wellman and I spoke at length about it,” McCarthy said. “With Lady Eli coming out here, that factored a little into our decision. We could keep Flavien.”

Illuminant had solid credentials for the Gamely but fits equally well in the Monrovia, which drew a field of nine.

Monrovia, Race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Illuminant, by Quality Road

Last 3 Beyers: 92-99-100

◗ Illuminant, co-owned by the Eclipse partnership and Head of Plains partners, won the minor Wishing Well Stakes on the hillside turf course in her 2017 debut on March 10. Illuminant was seventh in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Keeneland on April 15, leading to the eighth pole before finishing four lengths behind Dickinson. Lady Eli was second by a nose in the Jenny Wiley.

“It was a funny turf course,” McCarthy said of Keeneland. “The inside didn’t seem too good.

“I don’t think it was a bad performance on her part. In her second start off a layoff, she may have been a little keener than I thought.”

◗ Prat has ridden Illuminant in her last six starts, three of which were wins. Illuminant races from off the pace and has two quick rivals in the Monrovia in the sprint-stakes winners Juno and Paquita Coqueta.

“We should get a nice stalking trip,” McCarthy said.

Enola Gray, by Grazen

Last 3 Beyers: 96-91-87

◗ Enola Gray is unbeaten in three starts on the hillside turf course, all stakes. Earlier this year, she won two stakes for California-breds on the hillside – the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint in January and the Irish O’Brien Stakes in March.

◗ Enola Gray has won 6 of 9 starts. She was third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on dirt last December, her only start in a graded stakes.

Paquita Coqueta, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 88-82-70

◗ Paquita Coqueta won the minor Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course April 22 in her sixth start in the United States. She was a multiple stakes winner in turf sprints in Chile in 2015 and 2016.

◗ In the Mizdirection, Paquita Coqueta was first or second throughout and won by a nose over Coniah, another quick filly who is part of the Monrovia field. Paquita Coqueta was fifth in the Wishing Well.