Espinoza Likes Moone's My Name in Wilshire
Moone’s My Name seeks her second straight stakes win going one mile on turf in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes for fillies and mares, three years old and up.
Victor Espinoza likes his chances aboard the 6-year-old gray mare trained by John Sadler for the Batchelor Family Trust. Espinoza rode Moone’s My Name to an eventful one-length victory in the ungraded American Beauty Stakes on March 29, prior to finishing an even more eventful sixth in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 17.
“She ran well in the American Beauty, but I think she’s going to run even better on Sunday,” said Espinoza, who was in tight and four-wide late before capturing the American Beauty. “In the Buena Vista, she stumbled at the three-eighths pole and didn’t get beat that far (five lengths), but I had to steady her.
“Now, she’s getting better. I expect her to run a big race Sunday.”
An English-bred daughter of Intikhab, Moone’s My Name has eight wins, three seconds and five thirds from 23 starts, with earnings just under $200,000.
Meanwhile, Espinoza remains understandably enamored with Santa Anita Derby winner California Chrome, favored to become the first California-bred since Decidedly in 1962 to win the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
He marveled at his four-furlong work in 47.80 at Los Alamitos last Saturday and is eager to get back on tomorrow at the Orange Country track for the colt’s final major workout before leaving for Kentucky on Monday.
“It was his first work back from the Santa Anita Derby (on April 5),” said Espinoza, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2002 aboard War Emblem. “California Chrome is an amazing horse. He does things so easy. When I work him, he feels like he’s just galloping around. I never use a watch to time him when I work him.
“I thought he was going to go in 47 (last Saturday), and that’s so easy for him. He has so much ability.”
The Wilshire: Moone’s My Name, Victor Espinoza, 5-2; Parranda, Rafael Bejarano, 2-1; Premier Steps, Mike Smith, 9-2; Rhagori, Corey Nakatani, 6-1; Theatre Star, Gary Stevens, 5-2; Nickels Wild, Martin Garcia, 12-1; and Journey On, Tyler Baze, 12-1.