Becca Taylor, a 4-year-old Old Topper filly, keeps climbing in class and winning. She’s won 9 of 10 starts after taking Monday’s $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos.
After winning seven of her first eight races, mostly against other Cal-breds, Becca Taylor stepped up into graded-stakes company last time out and won the Grade III Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita on June 4.
On Monday, facing even tougher, the Steven Miyadi-trained Becca Taylor went virtually gate to wire, staving off a threat by Elm Drive in mid-stretch and then holding off runner-up Samurai Charm to win by two lengths with Juan Hernandez aboard to pick up the winner’s share of $120,000.
Becca Taylor is a nose away from an unbeaten record. She came up second best in the Irish O’Brien Stakes over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course behind Eddie’s New Dream on March 19. She’s now banked $499,160 in her career for owner-breeder Nick Alexander.
“It was almost the same race as when I rode her for the first time (Desert Stormer),” Hernandez said. “She was a little aggressive away from there and really responded when I asked her in the stretch. She’s getting better and better.”
Becca Taylor, the 3-5 favorite, ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.25.
Miyadi said the winner is deceptively quick.
“It’s funny,” he said. “Her form doesn’t look like she is real speed, but she is. One day she is going to break running and wow everyone I hope.”
She closed from fifth to win the first two starts of her career but has been closer up in her other eight races. The Great Lady M. was the first time she’s gone gate to wire in one of her nine victories.
“As soon as (Elm Drive) kind of took back, Juan knew what to do and he took advantage of the situation,” Miyadi said. “That nose (her lone loss) is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Becca Taylor, favored for the eighth consecutive race, is perfect at Los Alamitos in two starts and 2-0 with Hernandez aboard. She broke her maiden at Los Alamitos at generous odds of 17-1 during the 2020 winter meet.
Samurai Charm, a 7-1 outsider who went into the race unbeaten in three starts at Los Alamitos, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over Elm Drive. They were followed, in order, by Cover Version, Lady Mystify, Ain’t Easy and Brandon’smylawyer.
Becca Taylor set fractions of 21.66, 44.61 and 1:08.75 and had enough left in the tank to widen her winning margin in the final stages.
The victory was the second stakes win of the meet for Miyadi and Alexander. They teamed to win the $100,000 Bertrando Stakes with Desmond Doss on June 25.
Racing at Los Alamitos continues Friday at 2 p.m. Next Saturday’s feature is the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds.
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