Queen Maxima rules again in Santa Anita turf sprint

ARCADIA — Queen Maxima and jockey Juan Hernandez stayed popular with bettors by winning the $100,000, Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes at 2-5 odds at Santa Anita on Sunday.

The Jeff Mullins-trained 5-year-old mare’s victory by one-half length over Princess Moche was her fifth win at the ungraded and Grade III level in the past 11 months and third at odds-on. It was her eighth win in 13 starts overall, fifth in six races at Santa Anita and third in four tries in Santa Anita’s downhill turf sprints.