Spirited Boss Rallies From Last to Win Monrovia Stakes at 18-1

Mike Smith has navigated the Santa Anita downhill turf course enough times to know exactly where races are won and lost. On April 4, he found the line perfectly aboard Spirited Boss, rallying the 18-1 longshot from last of six to capture the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes by three-quarters of a length.

The roughly 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint, run over a firm course with a race value of $100,500, looked like it belonged to Amorita through most of the trip. But Smith had Spirited Boss tucked along the inside rail, saving ground through the descent while rivals burned energy wider on the course. When the field straightened into the stretch, Spirited Boss accelerated through a gap and collared Amorita in the closing yards, completing a last-to-first reversal that the 18-1 odds made all the more striking.

Princesa Moche finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Amorita in third, with Queen Maxima another 2 3/4 lengths back in fourth. The final time was approximately 1:12 on the firm downhill turf, a course that carries a track record of 1:10.52.

The victory was only the 10th lifetime start for Spirited Boss, a daughter of Street Boss out of Spirited Storm, trained by Jose Francisco D'Angelo for Tag Stables. She carried 122 pounds against older fillies and mares, earned her first win in graded company, and delivered the most decisive form of her career at the highest level she has faced. It was her second career stakes victory overall.

D'Angelo had found the right spot for a horse whose profile suited the assignment precisely. The downhill course at Santa Anita rewards horses that can settle early, maintain balance through the turn, and produce a sustained burst in the final furlongs. Spirited Boss checked every box. Her pedigree reinforced the logic: Street Boss influences turf speed and late acceleration, and the firm going amplified those traits.

For Smith, the ride was a clinic in patience. Going last on a downhill course is a calculated risk; traffic can bury a horse entirely. Smith avoided the trouble, stayed glued to the inside, and produced Spirited Boss at precisely the right moment, a hallmark of a Hall of Fame career built on exactly that kind of timing.

The Monrovia win upgrades Spirited Boss's black-type profile immediately. With graded company now on her resume at only her 10th start, she projects as a legitimate entry for turf sprint stakes through the spring and summer, particularly at venues that feature downhill or specialized turf configurations. At 18-1, she was nobody's pick. D'Angelo and Tag Stables now have to decide just how high they want to aim.