What started as a great weekend got even better for trainer Mark Glatt and owners Hans and Ana Maron Jan. 11 as they won their second graded stakes in as many days at Santa Anita Park.
Their two winners, So Happy in the Jan. 10 San Vicente Stakes (G2) and Margarita Girl in Sunday's $100,500 Las Flores Stakes (G3), had much different stories to begin their careers, but both led to a successful chapter to cap Glatt's birthday week.
Where So Happy was quick to the winner's circle, winning on debut at 38-1, the journey for Margarita Girl breaking her maiden required more patience. Despite showing plenty of talent, the Twirling Candy filly just could not get the job done with four seconds and one third in her first five starts—including a half-length defeat against winning allowance foes.
However, she finally broke through Aug. 21 with a 1 1/4-length triumph at Del Mar. Making her first start since on Sunday, she showed she's starting to get the hang of this winning thing.
"She's been special from day one," Glatt told FanDuel TV's Kurt Hoover. "I couldn't quite understand why we couldn't get the job done before last time. ... She's all class and she's a good horse. Now we're getting to see it."
Sent off at odds of 4-1—her first race not going off as the favorite—jockey Ricardo Gonzalez found himself a perfect stalking position on the rail as Thermal set fractions of :21.74 and :44.11. Gonzalez bided his time as Emisael Jaramillo got to work on challenging the pace setter aboard No Bad Beats, and once he'd completed the dirty work, Gonzalez got Margarita Girl in the clear and she came rolling.
"It set up perfect for her, she sat right behind them," Gonzalez told Santa Anita's Jessica Pyfer after riding the filly for the first time. "I got her off the rail to the outside, and when it was time to go she kicked on for me."
Surging past No Bad Beats in the final 16th, Margarita Girl won by 1 3/4 lengths while completing 6 furlongs in 1:09.19 and paid $10.40 to win. Ooty was third.
Having shown a tendency to be the pacesetter early in her career, Glatt has been impressed with the ability to relax off the pace she's shown in her two wins. Considering she holds the likes of La Brea Stakes (G1) winner Usha and Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) winner Non Compliant in her running lines, her potential points high.
"She's always been one of my favorites," Hans Maron told Pyfer. "She's just a beautiful racehorse. I'm super excited."
Bred in Kentucky by Paul and Karen Eggert out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare My Day, Margarita Girl was sold for $130,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale before being purchased by the Marons for $575,000 at the following spring's Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Under the name Saints or Sinners, the Marons partner in ownership with Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners.
