Queen Goddess makes it look easy in Robert Frankel Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Unchallenged on the lead, Queen Goddess proved too tough to catch in Saturday’s Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita.

In her first start since May, Queen Goddess ($6) won the third stakes of her career with minimal fuss under first-time jockey John Velazquez.

Allowed to set a modest pace of 24.39 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.89 for a half-mile, Queen Goddess pulled clear to lead by three lengths in early stretch. Queen Goddess won by 2 1/2 lengths over Closing Remarks, who stalked the pace throughout.

“She was able to dictate the race by going to the lead the first time by the wire,” Velazquez said. “At that point, she was good. Going into the far turn, she switched to her left lead and she just went.”

Sent off favored, Queen Goddess ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.35 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

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Queen Goddess gave the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners its second stakes win of the day at Santa Anita. The Eclipse partnership co-owns Queen Goddess with Gary Barber. In Saturday’s first race, the Eclipse partnership won the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes for turf sprinters with Air Force Red, who is co-owned by Holly Golightly.

Quattroelle (6-1) closed from sixth to finish third in the $102,500 Frankel, followed by England’s Rose, Warrens Candy Girl, Bipartisanship, Avenue de France, New Heat, Scarabea, and Island of Love.

Queen Goddess, who is trained by Michael McCarthy, was rested after a second-place finish as the 7-10 favorite in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita last May.

A 4-year-old filly by Empire Maker, Queen Goddess won the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles in December 2021, when the race was transferred from turf to dirt because of inclement weather, and won the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf last March prior to the loss in the Santa Barbara.

Queen Goddess has won 5 of 10 starts and earned $470,580.

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