My Monet, the 2-1 favorite under Del Mar’s leading rider this fall, Santiago Gonzalez, gamely held off the late challenge of Kiss at Midnight to win Sunday’s featured $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for older California-bred fillies and mares.

 

My Monet took command in midstretch and persevered in the late stages to win by a half-length over Kiss at Midnight who rallied from last place under Rafael Bejarano to narrowly miss victory. Longshot Ashley’s Sassy, 24-1 with Alonso Quinonez in the saddle, was third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up and one and one-quarter lengths in front of fourth-place Wild in the Saddle in the field of eight runners.

 

My Monet, a four-year-old daughter of Decharchy, is owned by the KM Racing Enterprises, Inc. of Kenji Morinaga of Arcadia, Ca and trained by Ricky Agarie who was scoring his first success in a stakes race.

 

My Monet also supplied Gonzalez with his second stakes victory of the weekend, the rider having accounted for the Kathryn Crosby Stakes Saturday aboard Full Ransom. Gonzalez also won Sunday’s fifth race in a $49 surprise on Eagle Rock.

 

My Monet accomplished the seven furlongs in 1:23.16 to earn first prize of  $57,000 with her sixth win in 19 races. She now has earned $335,830. The filly returned $6.80, $4 and $3. Kiss at Midnight paid $4.20 and $2.60 while Ashley’s Sassy returned $6.40 to show.

 

With a carryover from Saturday of $75,858 in the Pick Six, $655,791 in “new” money was bet Sunday for a total pool of $731,649. There were 17 perfect tickets and each paid $25,069.

 

Racing resumes Thursday with an eight-race program beginning at 12:30 p.m.

 

SANTIAGO GONZALEZ (My Monet, winner) – “It was a good trip for me and a good race for her. She ran hard. I think this is going to be it for a while now. She’s been running hard against the good ones, horses like Beholder. I think she’s going to go to the farm now for a rest.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO (Kiss At Midnight, second) – “She really went in the stretch. Ran hard. She cut. I didn’t have any choice but to go wide with her. That’s the way she runs.”

ALONSO QUINONEZ (Ashley’s Sassy, third) – “I can’t complain; she ran her race. I had to go outside. That’s the way it set up.”

RICKY AGARIE (My Monet, winner) – “Actually I was pointing for this race all along after the Hirsch. I wanted to just give her some time and wait. But Santa Anita asked me if I was going to run her in the (Grade I) Zenyatta and she put in a bullet work that told me she was ready. You run against Beholder and My Sweet Addiction, those are some tough fillies. This is my first stakes win anywhere. A year ago today I ran my first starter on my own here at Del Mar. Good anniversary.”

 

 

FRACTIONS:  :22.93  :45.53  1:10.24  1:23.16

 

 

The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Gonzalez and his fifth overall at Del Mar. He is currently Del Mar’s leading rider with eight wins in eight days of racing.

 

The stakes win was the first one ever for trainer Agarie.

 

The owner is Kenji Morinaga of Arcadia, CA. 

 

This is the second running of the Betty Grable at Del Mar. Previously it was called the Cat’s Cradle Stakes and had been run 18 times at now-closed Hollywood Park.