Melrose Woods, Modest, Side Road and Marvelous Margaret win

1/29/2012 - Melrose Woods, Modest, Side Road and Marvelous Margaret win
By Ben Baugh

Thor-bred Stable, LLC's Melrose Woods broke her maiden at first asking as she won a 6 1/2-furlong race Friday at Santa Anita Park, coming from off the pace going four wide before getting up to win by a half-length.

The chestnut daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Broken Vow, is out of the Saint Ballado mare Charitable Donation, who is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Charitable Man, and two other winners (Tax Man and Mackerel Snapper), and paid $92.40 to win. Melrose Woods is conditioned by Dan Hendricks, and was ridden to victory by Alonso Quinonez. Melrose Woods had worked 6-furlongs on Jan. 18 at Santa Anita Park covering the distance in 1:14 2/5 seconds.

Melrose Woods picked up a check of $33,600 for the victory. The 3-year-old filly was bred by Spring Hill Farm, and was broken and trained in Aiken by Legacy Stable's Ron Stevens and Brad Stauffer.

Flying Zee Stable's Marvelous Margaret lived up to her name with a determined victory collaring the lead in deep stretch to break her maiden by a head in a 6-furlong race over the inner track at Aqueduct on Wednesday. The Carlos Martin charge was ridden to victory by jockey Ryan Curatolo, and paid $26 to win. It was the Florida-bred filly's second lifetime start.

Marvelous Margaret is a half-sister to stakes winner Portside, and is by Grade 2 winner Put It Back. The 3-year-old filly was making her second lifetime start, and had last worked Jan. 15 at Belmont Park, breezing a half-mile in 49 3/5 seconds. Marvelous Margaret was broken and trained in Aiken by Tim and Cary Frommer, and was purchased by Flying Zee from the consignment of Cary Frommer for $70,000 at the Fasig-Tipton 2011 May Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Timonium. The bay filly increased her lifetime earnings to $38,500.

Darley Stable's homebred Side Road took the direct route in breaking his maiden in a 1-mile race by a commanding 4-lengths Saturday at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old son of Street Cry (IRE) was making his fourth lifetime start and his sophomore campaign debut. The chestnut colt is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and had jockey Mike Luzzi in the irons. Side Road worked a half-mile on Jan. 20 covering the distance in 48 1/5 seconds. Side Road increased his lifetime earnings to $48,850. The colt was broken and trained in Aiken by Tim Jones.

Side Road's stablemate, Darley's Modest was anything but in wiring the field on Sunday as he broke his maiden by a neck in a 1-mile race on the turf Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old gelded son of Grade 2 winner Pulpit is conditioned by Kiaran McLaughlin, and was piloted to victory by Jose Lezcano. Modest was coming off a 10-month layoff, having made his last start on March 27, 2011, which was also in a 1-mile race on the turf at Gulfstream. Sunday's contest was his 7th lifetime start. Modest was broken and trained in Aiken by Tim Jones.