BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC’s Queen Maxima crowned herself the monarch of female turf sprinters in Southern California with a commanding victory in the Grade 3 Monrovia presented by Don Julio. It was the fourth consecutive triumph on the Santa Anita turf for the Jeff Mullins trainee, who defeated five other fillies and mares going about six-and-a-half furlongs on the downhill course.
Queen Maxima also provided a milestone for Mullins, who won his 1,800th career victory in the Monrovia.
Queen Maxima exploded from the outside post six and jockey Juan Hernandez quickly had her clear of Queen of the Mud (Ire) in second to her inside. Longshot Omaha Girl tried to muster a challenge around the righthand turn but Queen Maxima shook free again as they approached the dirt crossover after a half mile in :44.89.
Hernandez gave Queen Maxima her cue at the top of the stretch and the chestnut filly accelerated away from her rivals to win easily in 1:12.93 on the firm turf. Queen of the Mud was four-and-a-half lengths back in second followed by Venganza in third. Ang N Ash, Omaha Girl and Safa completed the order of finish.
“All the credit goes to her and Jeff [Mullins]. She loves to run, and Jeff does a really good job with her,” Hernandez said. “In the post parade, she was feeling really, really, good. She wasn’t getting hot at all. As soon as the gate opened, she was trying to take the lead. So, I just let her be free and she took it till the wire. I didn’t do much today with her. She was doing everything on her own. She just keeps getting better.”
Queen Maxima returned $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite.
Queen Maxima began her win streak on Dec. 29 with a half-length score in a first condition, $50,000 optional claiming going six furlongs on the grass. She then took a second condition, $80,000 optional claiming by three-and-a-half lengths at six-and-a-half furlongs on turf before winning her first stakes with a three-and-a-half-length score in the Wishing Well at six furlongs on the grass.
“I can’t say she surprised me,” Mullins said of Queen Maxima. “I think she has lived up to our expectations and I’m not sure we’ve seen the most of her yet. We do want to experiment with two turns eventually and maybe even dirt. But that’s a ways down the road but she is just a sheer athlete.
“As long as her feed tub is empty in the morning and she’s sleeping good, we’ve got a good chance.”
Ruben Islas Jr. of Irving Ventures said he hopes for a bright future with Queen Maxima.
“We don’t know what she’s capable of at this point because she responds to everything we have asked of her,” he said. “It’s really exciting. She’s gorgeous. She’s beautiful and she won wire to wire today I believe. We’re proud of the team. Proud of Jeff [Mullins] and proud of Mike [Pender] who found her. It’s fantastic. We’re over the moon.”
Michael Pender as agent purchased Queen Maxima out of the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sale June Sale of 2-year-olds in training for $40,000. She was consigned by Blue River Bloodstock.
(Queen Maxima’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
Queen Maxima is by Bucchero out of Corfu Lady, by Corfu and was bred in Florida by Saul Rosas. She improved her record to five wins in eight starts with two seconds and earnings of $270,900.
She is the first of two foals out of Corfu Lady, a four-time winning Florida-bred mare, also bred by Rosas. Her fourth dam is the graded stakes-placed Sugar’s Image, who produced multiple grade stakes-winning Florida-bred Halo’s Image. Queen Maxima is the only starter for Corfu Lady, who also produced Florida Chrome, a 3-year-old colt by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Gunnevera.
Queen Maxima is the first Florida-bred winner of the Monrovia since Rabiadella and Mamselle Bebette won in consecutive years in 1995 and 1994 respectively.
Return to the April 5 issue of Wire to Wire
