By Jill Williams
Meaning (f, 3, Gun Runner–Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief), a Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer, proved her win over Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in the Las Virgenes Stakes Feb. 8 was no fluke and asserted herself as California's division leader with a resounding victory in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Saturday. The Santa Anita Oaks awards 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points toward the May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
The complexion of Saturday's race changed shortly out of the gate when GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes winner and second choice Forced Entry (Charlatan), the lone graded winner in the field, was pulled up in the early going. She walked off under her own power with rider Mike Smith reporting she'd hit herself leaving the gate and he didn't want to take any chances. Meanwhile, Santa Ysabel third French Blue (Gun Runner) sprinted to the front as Red Cherry (Rock Your World) kept her company through :22.88 and :46.55 fractions and Meaning settled in fourth on the inside, about two lengths off the leader.
As the pace quickened on the turn, Meaning looked full of run but jockey Juan Hernandez had no where to go and the pair had to check slightly off heels. Hernandez pointed Meaning's nose to the right and the duo swung to the outside with purpose, hooking up with a determined Brooklyn Blonde (Gun Runner) for the stretch run. Brooklyn Blonde–like Meaning, a Michael McCarthy pupil–begrudgingly yielded just before the sixteenth pole as Meaning pulled clear to win with aplomb by two lengths. Santa Ysabel runner-up Bank Shot (Game Winner) was another 13 3/4 lengths behind Brooklyn Blonde in third. Meaning got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.99.
“She was rather game. She broke so sharp and good,” said Hernandez of Meaning. “Every race she's getting better and more professional.”
McCarthy added: “I'm proud of both of these fillies. I felt good in the stretch, but I felt a lot better after crossing the line. I was thinking about the demanding side of this track today. We'll get them both to Churchill and prepare from there.”
A $440,000 Keeneland September yearling, Meaning improves her record to three wins from four starts, having impressed enough in her Sep. 20 Los Alamitos debut to make a play for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup behind a star-studded trio: eventual champion Super Corredora, MGSW & MGISP Explora (Blame), and Percy's Bar (Upstart), who won the GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes Friday. It was her only career loss. Meaning got a perfect trip in her sophomore debut, the Las Virgenes, to beat Explora that day and showed it was no fluke with Saturday's score.
Meaning | Benoit
Pedigree Notes:
Gun Runner added two new graded winners to his CV–one on each coast–in the span of less than 15 minutes Saturday with Meaning's victory coming moments before 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always a Runner's win in the GIII Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct. For good measure, approximately 30 minutes later, he added a top-level scorer to the mix with 'Rising Star' Further Ado's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes win at Keeneland. The Three Chimneys super sire now has 39 graded winners and 58 black-type winners in his five crops to race. He also nabbed the Santa Anita Oaks exacta, with Brooklyn Blonde getting her first black-type with the runner-up finish.
Meaning is bred identically to Mar. 27 GII Fantasy Stakes runner-up Search Party and Santa Anita Oaks fifth-place finisher French Blue, as all three are out of Into Mischief mares. Into Mischief has 45 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Figure of Speech, third in the GI Spinaway Stakes in 2019, is a granddaughter of MGSW Colcon (Pleasant Colony). Meaning is her first runner and the mare has a 2-year-old Curlin filly and a yearling Flightline colt in the pipeline. She was bred to Nyquist for 2026.
#5 MEANING ($3.80) punched herself a ticket to Kentucky as she charged home in the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) with @JJHernandezS19 in the irons. The daughter of Gun Runner (@Three_Chimneys) is trained by @mwmracing. @EclipseTBP owns. pic.twitter.com/kqSLRanBID
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 4, 2026
Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA OAKS PRESENTED BY SURFSIDE-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 4-4, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.99, ft.
1–MEANING, 124, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Figure of Speech (GISP), by Into Mischief
2nd Dam: Starlight Lady, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Colcon, by Pleasant Colony
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($440,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $307,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Brooklyn Blonde, 124, f, 3, Gun Runner–Shenandoah Queen, by Henny Hughes. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($510,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Sun-Kissed Stable and Flay, Bobby; B-Benson Farm (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $40,000.
3–Bank Shot, 124, f, 3, Game Winner–Puskita, by Indian Charlie. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTKJUL; $50,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $160,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-WSS Racing; B-Buck Pond Farm & John Wilmot (KY); T-Ryan Hanson. $24,000.
Margins: 2, 13 3/4, 5. Odds: 0.90, 10.40, 17.20.
Also Ran: Red Cherry, French Blue, Hypergamy, Forced Entry.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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