Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Promising pacer American Monarch is following in the footsteps of her dam Prix De Whitby and maternal granddam Whitbys Merit as a smart two-year-old performer.
Trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, American Monarch, the $2 favourite, broke through for her first victory when she set the pace and beat the fast-finishing Lucienne ($6.50) in the $20,250 Bill Horn, James Brennan Award Winner Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“American Monarch tries very hard and is a pretty well-rounded horse for a two-year-old,” said De Campo. “And she is probably better with a sit than being in front.”
American Monarch, who was purchased for $38,000 at the 2021 Perth APG yearling sale, has now earned $30,560 from one win and four placings from seven starts.
Her dam Prix De Whitby (by American stallion Life Sign) won three times as a two-year-old before being retired with earnings of $30,934 from those three wins and four placings from 12 starts.
Prix De Whitby’s dam Whitbys Merit raced only 14 times for ten wins, two placings and stakes of $168,598. As a two-year-old in 1993 Whitbys Merit won the Group 1 Pearl Classic, the Group 1 Golden Slipper and the Group 2 Champagne Stakes.