My Monet gives trainer Agarie first stakes win in Betty Grable

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sunday marked exactly one year since Ricky Agarie sent out his first starter as a trainer, and he celebrated that anniversary the right way by saddling My Monet for a popular victory in the $100,500 Betty Grable Stakes for older California-bred females at Del Mar.

Agarie, 45, was an assistant for several prominent trainers for more than two decades before finally going out on his own. He currently has 24 horses in training, and My Monet has provided him with three of his 10 victories this year. This, though, was significant for Agarie in that it was his first stakes win since going out on his own.

My Monet kicked clear in upper stretch and staved off a late run from Kiss At Midnight to win by a half-length and return $6.80 as the 2-1 favorite. Ashley’s Sassy was another three-quarters of a length back in third and was followed, in order, by Wild in the Saddle, Wonderful Lie, Yana, Harlington’s Rose, and Our Pure Creation.

My Monet covered seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:23.16. She has now won 6 of 19 starts, and the $57,000 winner’s share increased her lifetime earnings to $335,838. My Monet, a daughter of Decarchy, is owned by the KM Racing Enterprises of Kenji Morinaga, who transferred My Monet to Agarie’s care earlier this year. She has won three times in nine starts for Agarie, and has raced 13 times this year at age 4 after making just six starts last year.

“We’re going to give her a break, and definitely space her races out next year,” Agarie said.

My Monet was second in the Tranquility Lake, also for California-breds, during the summer meet here. Both before and after that start, she faced Beholder in Grade 1 stakes.

My Monet was ridden by Santiago Gonzalez, who swept both stakes this weekend, having captured the Kathryn Crosby on Saturday. He leads all riders after the first two weeks of the meet with eight wins.