ARCADIA — Queen Maxima showed her quality and versatility in rallying from midpack with jockey Juan Hernandez to win the Mizdirection Stakes on Saturday, the 5-year-old mare’s ninth victory in 16 starts and fourth in six outings on the Santa Anita hillside turf course.
After settling in fifth in the field of nine – farther back than in her previous three wins on the about-6-1/2-furlong course – Queen Maxima circled the leaders, surged away in the stretch and held off Spirited Boss by three-quarters of a length. She paid $4.40.
“My plan today was to stay close to the lead or on the lead,” Hernandez said. “But I saw a couple of (riders) sending their horses, trying to get the lead, so I took her back. … When I crossed the dirt and was back on the turf, I asked her to pick it up and she did.”
Trainer Jeff Mullins said Queen Maxima, a Grade III winner who raced in the $100,000 Mizdirection two weeks after running fourth at Churchill Downs in an attempt at a repeat win in the Unbridled Sidney Stakes, will get a break and return to competition at Del Mar. She is owned by Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas of San Diego.
Sunday at Santa Anita, leading trainer Phil D’Amato’s duo of Later Than Planned (Hector Berrios riding) and Iriseach (Antonio Fresu) lead the morning line at 8-5 and 5-2 for the Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 mile on turf.
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