From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (June 23, 2019)–Winless in her five previous tries, Nick Alexander’s homebred Ruby Bradley, who was trying two turns on dirt for the first time, put in a determined stretch-long bid to prevail by a half length in Sunday’s $200,000 Melair Stakes at Santa Anita. Trained by Phil D’Amato and ridden by Aaron Gryder, Ruby Bradley got a mile and one sixteenth in 1:49.92.
Next to last in a compact field of five sophomore fillies turning for home, the daughter of Grazen kept to her task late to prevail over Tiz a Master, who was to her outside.
Named for the Millard and Rous homebred daughter of Our Blue Chip, Melair, a foal of 1983, was a multiple graded stakes winner who was conditioned by John Sadler. The Melair Stakes is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses which is sponsored by the CTBA.
Most recently second at 4-5 in a Cal-bred maiden special going six furlongs on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields June 1, Ruby Bradley, who is out of Alexander’s Bertrando mare Sudden Sunday, was off at 7-2 and paid $9.80, $4.00 and $2.80.
With the winner’s share of $110,000, Ruby Bradley now has earnings of $154,251.
Ridden by Heriberto Figueroa, Tiz a Master was third turning for home and finished 3 ½ lengths in front of Violette Szabo for second money. Off at 3-1, Tiz a Master paid $4.00 and $3.00.
Violette Szabo, ridden by Norberto Arroyo, Jr., paid $3.00 to show.
Fractions on the race were 24.70, 49.40, 1:14.45 and 1:42.62.