Queen Maxima Seeks A Repeat In The Grade III Monrovia Stakes For Fillies And Mares Going About 6 ½ Furlongs On The Hillside Turf Course At Santa Anita Saturday

QUEEN MAXIMA SEEKS A REPEAT IN THE GRADE III MONROVIA STAKES FOR FILLIES AND MARES GOING ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS ON THE HILLSIDE TURF COURSE AT SANTA ANITA SATURDAY

ARCADIA, CA (March 30, 2026)—Queen Maxima will look to make it back-to-back years winning the Grade III, $100,000 Monrovia Stakes when she takes on six rivals going about 6 ½-furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Trained by Jeff Mullins, Queen Maxima enters on a two-race win streak and sports an overall record of 13: 8-2-0 with $630,460 in earnings for owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. Last year, after dominating the Monrovia by 4 ¼ lengths, Queen Maxima went on to add wins in the GIII Unbridled Sydney at Churchill Downs and the Sen. Ken Maddy at Del Mar. In her only start this year, the 5-year-old mare by Bucchero won the GIII Las Cienegas sprinting on the hillside turf course in January. Queen Maxima will have regular rider Juan Hernandez aboard.

Graded stakes winner Princesa Moche will get a second crack at Queen Maxima after being beaten just a half-length by that rival in the Las Cienegas. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Princesa Moche set the pace that day while Queen Maxima pressed in second before ultimately surging for the victory. Since that performance, Princesa Moche has come back to win the GIII Megahertz at one mile on turf and finish fifth most recently in the GII Buena Vista, also at one mile on turf on Feb. 26.

Bred in Peru, where she began her career, Princesa Moche is a 6-year-old mare by Muwaary owned by Rancho San Roberto Inc. She’ll be ridden by Antonio Fresu for the first time.

Multiple stakes winner Love Appeals comes east for trainer Miguel Clement seeking her first tally at the graded level. In two starts this year, the 5-year-old mare by Speightstown was third in the Abundantia Stakes going five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park in January and second in the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs also going five furlongs on turf in February.

Love Appeals races as a homebred for Moyglare Stud Farm. She’ll have the services of Santa Anita leading rider Emisael Jaramillo.

Graded stakes winner Tirupati makes her return from an 11-month layoff for trainer Jonathan Thomas and owner Augustin Stable. Last year, Tirupati won the GIII Wilshire and was second in the GII Buena Vista, both going one mile on turf at Santa Anita. A 5-year-old mare by Mitole, Tirupati will have Ricky Gonzalez aboard for her comeback effort.

THE GRADE III MONROVIA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 12  Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1.    Queen Maxima—Juan Hernandez—124 2.    Tirupati—Ricky Gonzalez—124 3.    Love Appeals—Emisael Jaramillo—122 4.    Sareeha—Kazushi Kimura—120 5.    Amorita—Mirco Demuro—120 6.    Princesa Moche—Antonio Fresu—124 7.    Spirited Boss—Mike Smith—122

First post Saturday is 12 p.m. PT.