Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's Miss Monica (Early Voting) cruised to an effortless 5 3/4-length debut victory Sunday at Del Mar, giving her GI Preakness Stakes-winning freshman sire (by Gun Runner) his seventh winner and fourth 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard.'
The 1-2 favorite powered out to the early lead from her inside draw and was in hand while clear through an opening quarter in :23.08 and a half in :46.14. Spendthrift's homebred firster Well Versed (Into Mischief) moved to challenge the favorite approaching the stretch, but Miss Monica easily shrugged off that foe and sailed home with minimal encouragement from Juan Hernandez.
Miss Monica is the first foal to race out of Lipstikliesnlovers. With no reported foals in 2025 or 2026, the mare was bred to Drain the Clock this year. Her dam, graded stakes winner Cherokee Queen, was purchased by the Branhams for $365,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November sale.
Miss Monica was purchased by pinhooker Jesse Hoppel for $45,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September sale and was purchased on behalf of Pegram, Watson and Weitman by Donato Lanni for $850,000 at the OBS April sale. Lanni's purchase was firmly under the radar as it came just minutes before the bloodstock agent paid a record $10.5 million for a colt by Flightline.
Miss Monica worked a quarter-mile in a co-fastest :20 2/5 ahead of the April sale.
“Her work was phenomenal,” Lanni said at the time. “She was running against a head wind, too. Galloped out good. She was serious out there.”
2nd-Del Mar, $100,000, Msw, 8-9, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.44, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
MISS MONICA, f, 2, by Early Voting
1st Dam: Lipstikliesnlovers, by American Pharoah
2nd Dam: Cherokee Queen, by Cherokee Run
3rd Dam: Virginia Bee, by Virginia Rapids
Sales history: $32,000 RNA Wlg '24 KEENOV; $45,000 Ylg '25 KEESEP; $850,000 2yo '26 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $60,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman; B-Doug & Felicia Branham & Pippa's Hurricane LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
🤩🔥 MISS MONICA makes a statement on debut at @DelMarRacing, drawing off to break her maiden by over 5 lengths! The impressive filly becomes the 7️⃣th winner for EARLY VOTING!
Bred by Doug & Felicia Branham and Pippa's Hurricane LLC, trained by @BobBaffert and owned by Michael… pic.twitter.com/y3Qw1fMemJ
— Taylor Made Stallions (@TMStallions) August 9, 2026
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