Although Moche Princess after setting a pace of :22.10 and :44.15, did not give up and made the daughter of Bucchero Working for her half-length victory, Queen Máxima finished the job for her eighth win in 13 starts.
“Everyone in this race should experience a horse like this,” trainer Jeff Mullins told FanDuel TV’s Kurt Hoover as he walked to the winner’s circle. “This mare is something else. It’s amazing what she’s done so far.”
“She’s pretty amazing,” Michele Arthur of Dutch Girl Holding told Jessica Pyfer of Santa Anita. “We are so happy to have her in our lives. We are very lucky.”
The now 5-year-old has been on a roll since December 2024, winning seven of her last nine starts. Sunday’s win marked her fifth stakes win and third overall after winning Santa Anita’s Monrovia Stakes (G3T) and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs last spring. That nine-race series also coincided with Juan Hernandez taking over the saddle.
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“Juan knows her so well, when you give him a helping hand, you have so much confidence,” Mullins said. “He comes out and works her in the morning every time there’s wind, so it’s like he’s driving his own car.”
That strong relationship was on display at the Las Cienegas as Hernandez guided the mare out of post No. 1 to gain ground around the right-hander of Santa Anita’s downhill grass course. He then got a perfect tracking position in second place when he tipped outside Princesa Moche.
Entering the stretch, Hernandez exuded confidence as he crossed the dirt road like a statue before calling on his mare to begin her attack. Despite Princesa Moche not leaving, it still seemed inevitable that Queen Máxima would triumph, which she did, covering about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:11.69 while paying $2.80 to win. Spicybug came third.
“She’s really professional, we had a really good trip,” Hernandez told Santa Anita publicity. “I felt really comfortable the whole race, I felt under my knees that I had a lot of horse. I crossed the sand and waited a little longer and she put in a good run. She is so smart and knows where the thread is.”
Queen Máxima was bred in Florida by Saul Rosas and is out of the winning Corfu mare Corfu lady . She was consigned by Blue River Bloodstock at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale and was purchased by agent Michael Pender for $40,000. She has now earned $630,460.
Video: Las Cienegas S. (G3T)
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