Venetian Harbor dominates Monrovia Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. - Venetian Harbor was a stakes winner at seven furlongs and at a mile on dirt last year at Santa Anita and Keeneland. Now add turf sprints to her list of accomplishments after an easy win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez for the first time in a race, Venetian Harbor led throughout the $201,500 Monrovia, pulling clear with minimal urging to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths.
“I knew if I relaxed her and got her comfortable, she would do the rest,” Gutierrez said.
A slight favorite, Venetian Harbor ($6.40) set a solid pace of 22.48 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.96 for a half-mile, leading by a length over 2-1 Superstition. In the stretch, Superstition could not sustain the threat.
Venetian Harbor was timed in 1:15.06 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
Constantia (5-2) closed from last of seven with a wide rally to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Superstition. Constantia won the $80,300 Mizdirection Stakes at six furlongs on turf April 17. Never for Money finished fourth, followed by Gypsy Spirit, Trickle In, She’s So Special, and Nasty.
Umberto Rispoli rode Constantia in the Mizdirection and in the Monrovia. While a late kick worked in the Mizdirection, Rispoli said Venetian Harbor was too tough of a rival Saturday.
“My filly ran her race,” Rispoli said. “I angled out. Inside looked a little rough. I could see Venetian Harbor was clear.”
Venetian Harbor, by Munnings, has won 4 of 9 starts and has earned $633,400 for owners Joe Ciaglia, Highland Yard LLC, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides.
In 2020, Venetian Harbor won the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile by nine lengths in February, and finished second in three consecutive graded stakes at Oaklawn Park, Keeneland, and Saratoga before winning the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at seven furlongs at Keeneland last October.
In her final start of 2020, Venetian Harbor was last of eight in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland in November.
The Monrovia was Venetian Harbor’s first start on turf since a second in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs in her debut at Del Mar in November 2019.
Gutierrezz, who worked Venetian Harbor in the buildup to the Monrovia, said the filly’s speed is her best asset.
“The comeback was a question mark,” he said. “The speed was never a question.”