Horse Racing

Jolie Olimpica Returns To Sprinting In Santa Anita’s Monrovia


Jockey Mike Smith guides Jolie Olimpica to the winner’s circle after their victory in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes

Brilliant Brazilian-bred Jolie Olimpica gets back to sprinting and looms large in a field of eight fillies and mares, aged three and up, going 5 ½ furlongs on turf in Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Jolie Olimpica faces a solid group of distaffers, including Neil Drysdale’s Australian-bred Oleksandra, who’s been idle since taking a G3 turf sprint at Keeneland Oct. 11 and Peter Miller’s Surrender Now, who was off the board against males in the G3 San Simeon over the course on March 21.

JOLIE OLIMPICA
Owner:  Fox Hill Farms, Inc.
Trainer:  Richard Mandella
Second, beaten a half length as the 3-5 favorite in the one mile turf G2 Buena Vista Stakes Feb. 22, Jolie Olimpica, who made all the early running in the Buena Vista while tasting defeat for the first time, gets back to a much better distance on Monday as she seeks her fourth Group or Graded win and her fifth from six overall starts.  A dazzling 1 ¼ length winner of the G3 Las Cienegas Stakes in her U.S. debut two starts back on Jan. 11, she’ll be ridden for the third straight time by Mike Smith, who guided her sire Drosselmeyer to victory in the 2010 Belmont Stakes.

OLEKSANDRA
Owner:  Team Valor International
Trainer:  Neil Drysdale
With a long series of drills on Santa Anita’s inner training track, look for this 6-year-old mare to fire a big shot off the bench with Joel Rosario up.  A winner of two out of her last three starts, she’s four for five with Rosario and will hope to notch her third win from four Santa Anita turf tries.  Winless in her first three starts as a sophomore in Australia, Oleksandra is 13-6-2-3 overall.

SURRENDER NOW
Owner:  Rockingham Ranch
Trainer:  Peter Miller
In her first-ever try against males in the March 21 San Simeon at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, this 5-year-old mare by Morning Line sped to the early lead but tired late to be beaten 4 ¾ lengths at odds of 8-1.  An ungraded stakes winner sprinting on dirt in her second start at age two, she has three wins, two seconds and one third from eight tries at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.  Based with Miller at San Luis Rey Downs Training Center, she’ll be reunited with Drayden Van Dyke, who is two for three with her, but hasn’t been aboard in her last four starts, three of which were in Kentucky.  With an overall mark of 13-5-2-1, she’ll be seeking her first graded stakes win.

G2 MONROVIA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 11  Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Stealthediamonds—Agapito Delgadillo—122
  2. Oleksandra—Joel Rosario—124
  3. Ginger Nut—Umberto Rispoli—122
  4. Surrender Now—Drayden Van Dyke—122
  5. Miss Hot Legs—John Velazquez—122
  6. Into Mystic—Abel Cedillo—122
  7. Jolie Olimpica—Mike Smith—124
  8. Just Grazed Me—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for an 11-race card on Monday is at 12:30 p.m.  Although there is no public admittance, fans are encouraged to wager via 1stBet.com or through Xpressbet.com.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.





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