Marshua’s River Stakes Study Guide

Here is the cast:

MALKIA

Career Racing Stats

• 10 Starts
• 5 Wins
• 1 Place
• 1 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (89) in allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs
Total Career Earnings: $66,045

Owner: Laura Cazares
Breeder: Nursery Place, Donaldson, and Broadbent
Trainer: Laura Cazares
Jockey: Rajiv Maragh

Sire: Animal Kingdom
Dam: Set’n On Ready
Color: Bay

The 5-year-old was a smart allowance winner on this course off the layoff most recently for Laura Cazares. The Animal Kingdom mare has been consistently good since 2019, and she draws the rail in her first try in the graded stakes ranks. Rajiv Maragh inherits the riding duties.

PIECE BY PEACE

Career Racing Stats

• 4 Starts
• 1 Wins
• 0 Place
• 1 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (79) in recent maiden win at Tampa Bay
Total Career Earnings: $22,203

Owner: Jeff Drown
Breeder: Samac
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Jockey: John Velazquez

Sire: Declaration of War
Dam: Be My Prospect
Color: Bay

This $280,000 yearling purchase held on to graduate at Tampa Bay Downs last time out and takes a big class hike today. The 4-year-old bay possesses good early speed, and she may be the one to catch from post 2. The Rodolphe Brisset trainee will receive a big jockey upgrade to John Velazquez for this assignment.

MAGIC STAR

Career Racing Stats

• 2 Starts
• 1 Win
• 0 Place
• 0 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (92) in debut victory at Saratoga
Total Career Earnings: $49,830

Owner: Don Alberto Stable
Breeder: D J Stables et al
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Sire: Scat Daddy
Dam: Meadow Breeze
Color: Chestnut

Lightly raced filly from the barn of Chad Brown was a superb debut winner on the Saratoga lawn in the summer, and she made up late ground following a poor start when facing allowance foes in the fall at Belmont Park. The $500,000 Scat Daddy lass has trained forwardly in advance of her seasonal debut, and the powerful late runner will hope to run them down inside the final furlong under Irad Ortiz Jr.

SWEET BYE AND BYE

Career Racing Stats

• 13 Starts
• 6 Wins
• 3 Place
• 2 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (100) in 2018 allowance win at Saratoga
Total Career Earnings: $334,300

Owner: Joseph Imbesi
Breeder: Joseph Imbesi
Trainer: Steve Klesaris
Jockey: Luis Saez

Sire: Sky Mesa
Dam: Twiggles
Color: Gray/Roan

Grade 3-placed stakes heroine brings fine form to the Marshua’s River for conditioner Steve Klesaris, with top-three finishes in a trio of races in succession. The talented daughter of Sky Mesa has never been off the board on the grass in her career, and the mare has a versatile running style as well. Luis Saez rides the live contender.

ANDINA DEL SUR

Career Racing Stats

• 19 Starts
• 4 Wins
• 2 Place
• 5 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (99) when second in 2018 Pebbles S. at Belmont Park
Total Career Earnings: $470,750

Owner: Don Alberto Stable
Breeder: Don Alberto Corp.
Trainer: Tom Albertrani
Jockey: Javier Castellano

Sire: Giant’s Causeway
Dam: Andina
Color: Chestnut

Chestnut enters off a game tally in the Forever Together S. at Aqueduct in her most recent performance. The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred is winless on the Gulfstream turf, but she has placed in four of five local assignments. Javier Castellano will be in the stirrups atop the stalker.

MAROUBRA

Career Racing Stats

• 15 Starts
• 3 Wins
• 1 Place
• 1 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (92) when fourth in 2019 Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park
Total Career Earnings: $90,119

Owner: Manganaro Bloodstock and West Point Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Petra Bloodstock Agency, Ltd.
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
Jockey: Paco Lopez 

Sire: Lawman
Dam: Mirrorblack
Color: Bay

This 5-year-old comes in searching for her first tally in the U.S. since arriving in early 2019. The daughter of Lawman is unplaced from five stateside stakes affairs, but she did run one of her best races on the Gulfstream Park turf course last campaign. Paco Lopez will pilot the French-bred mare.

MUNCHKIN MONEY

Career Racing Stats

• 26 Starts
• 7 Wins
• 5 Place
• 3 Show

Top BRIS Speed rating (94) in allowance score at Belmont Park
Total Career Earnings: $412,215

Owner: Sweet Home Stables et al
Breeder: Dr. Thomas M. Murray
Trainer: Christophe Clement
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

Sire: Freud
Dam: Sweet Rita
Color: Bay 

Hard-trying New York-bred sports a 3-2-1-0 line at this locale, which includes a closing third in the My Charmer S. last time out. The 7-year-old mare draws outside, and her consistency makes her a contender every time she steps on the track. Tyler Gaffalione will ride the obvious win contender.