Maram, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner from 2008, makes her season debut off a lengthy layoff when facing six fillies and mares in the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes (gr. IIIT) in Monmouth Park’s Memorial Day feature.
Owned by Karen Woods and Saud bin Khaled, Maram has been off since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies and Mares Turf (gr. IT) at 1 1/4 miles last November at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old daughter of Sahm begins her campaign at the more comfortable distance of 1 1/16 miles.
Maram began her career by winning her first four races, a pair of them at the Eatontown distance, including the grade III Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont in her second start. Sent off at 11-1 in her third try, the dark bay/brown filly rallied in the stretch to capture the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf for trainer Chad Brown. Jose Lezcano rode her in both graded stakes triumphs, and he will get the mount once again while breaking from post 6.
Bred in Kentucky by Palides Investments N. V. and Hair ‘Em Corporation, Maram is out of the Quest for Fame mare American Dreamer. She is 4-0-1 from six starts for earnings of $799,520.
The other graded stakes winners in the field are Eye of Taurus, My Princess Jess, and Gypsy's Warning.
Eye of Taurus, who will break from the inside under Alan Garcia, won the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Keeneland’s yielding turf last October in her lone stakes appearance. She was third, beaten two lengths, in an allowance race while making her 4-year-old debut Aprill 11 at Keeneland. Kiaran McLaughlin trains the Aldebaran filly for Harvey Clarke.
Lael Stables’ My Princess Jess scored in a pair of graded stakes as a 3-year-old in 2008, including the Lake George (gr. IIT) at Saratoga, and notched the Beaugay Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont last season. She was fourth in this year’s Beaugay on May 1, which was her season debut. Joe Bravo will ride for Barclay Tagg.
Making her North American debut is Gypsy’s Warning, a South African-bred filly who is a two-time group I winner in her native land. Entering off a more than 11-month layoff, the 5-year-old Mogok mare is trained by Graham Motion for Team Valor International and Green Lantern Stables.
$150,000 Eatontown Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 10, 5:20 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Eye of Taurus (KY), A Garcia, 116, K P McLaughlin
2. Omega Cat (FL), E Trujillo, 116, M D Wolfson
3. My Princess Jess (FL), J Bravo, 116, B Tagg
4. Akilina (NY), G K Gomez, 116, C Clement
5. Scolara (FL), E Castro, 118, W I Mott
6. Maram (KY), J Lezcano, 116, C C Brown
7. Gypsy's Warning (SAF), J Valdivia Jr., 116, H G Motion