Queen Maxima outruns Princesa Moche in Las Cienegas
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ARCADIA, Calif. - There is a reason she is known as the Queen in the Santa Anita stables.
Queen Maxima won her fifth stakes in the last year, and for the seventh time in her last nine starts, in Sunday’s Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes for fillies and mares on the track’s hillside turf course.
Queen Maxima ($2.80) won by a measured half-length over pacesetter Princesa Moche. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Queen Maxima ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:11.69 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96. She was second until the field crossed the dirt onto the main turf course.
“She had a good trip,” Hernandez said. “She was very fast out of the gate. I was able to get a good position in second. She loves that.
“I was really confident the whole race. I waited until after the dirt to ask the filly.”
Princesa Moche, a 16-1 outsider who won two allowance races in the fall, set a fair pace of 22.10 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.15 for a half-mile, leading by as much as a length over Queen Maxima. Princesa Moche, who was ridden by Mirco Demuro, lost her advantage in early stretch.
“She was really good,” said Demuro, who turned 37 on Sunday.
“She went in front and she relaxed. She kept going and kept going but the winner was too strong.”
Princesa Moche finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of 11-1 Spicybug, who was third throughout. The remaining order of finish was Egyptian Mau, Nay V Belle, Rosie Jeeks, Omnipontet, Miss Lizzy and Antifona.
Queen Maxima is trained by Jeff Mullins for Ruben Islas and Michele Arthur, who races as Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures.
A 5-year-old mare by Bucchero, Queen Maxima has won 8 of 13 starts and earned $630,460.
Queen Maxima was unbeaten in five turf sprints against fillies and mares in 2025. In a seven-race campaign last year, her losses were sixth-place finishes on turf at Del Mar last summer in the Osunitas Stakes at a mile against fillies and mares, and against males in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs. In both defeats, Queen Maxima had troubled trips.
Queen Maxima has won three Grade 3 stakes. Aside from the $102,000 Las Cienegas, she won consecutive Grade 3 races last spring in the $100,500 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in April, and the $329,500 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs last May.
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