Becca Taylor
With the exception of a nose defeat, she knew nothing besides winning races. She also never knew routing, as every one of her starts happened well under a mile.
She could win handily or be part of a photo finish. But she had confidence, and she liked to finish races by distancing herself from opponents in the last few seconds. It was almost like she was toying with the competition before winning.
She was a strong filly, and Becca Taylor used her strengths as a Thoroughbred to become one of the most memorable horses from her home state in the 2020s.
Owned and bred by Nicholas B. Alexander, Becca Taylor first showed up at Los Alamitos in mid-December of 2020. Sent off as a 17-1 longshot in a five and one-half furlong maiden special weight contest, Becca Taylor outran her odds for trainer Steve Miyadi as she and jockey Santos Rivera overcame a wide trip and got up just in time thanks to a fast pace. The win gave her the distinction of being a debut winner like her dam, Lady Sax, and damsire, General Meeting.
Just over a month after the bow, Becca Taylor next tried allowance optional claimers over six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita. With a new rider in Jessica Pyfer aboard, Becca Taylor again came from off the pace and put on an impressive finish in the last sixteenth to win. Looking relaxed on the turf, Becca Taylor suddenly blew past the leader, looking so confident as she found the wire more than one length in front. She would take down a similar group again a few weeks later in February with Pyfer again handling the reins. This time, she successfully handled the Santa Anita dirt at three-quarters of a mile, moving up and getting the win by a head. With a pair of scores in the allowance optional claiming ranks, the stakes scene came calling.
On the first weekend in April, Becca Taylor teamed with top rider Flavien Prat in the Evening Jewel Stakes at six and one-half furlongs on the main track. The clear favorite on the tote board, the California-bred filly surprised fans by changing her usual race tactics. Employing a stalking trip down the backstretch, she took the lead at the top of the stretch and won comfortably for her first of several stakes wins.
But it would be a while before the winning continued. The Evening Jewel ended up being Becca Taylor's last race for 2021, and she returned during the last part of January 2022 at Golden Gate Fields. Coming off the bench in a five and one-half furlong allowance sprint with Armando Ayuso in the saddle, Becca Taylor lost nothing from her three-year-old season. She stalked the pace and was well ahead of everyone by the time the camera flashed. The class relief no doubt helped, and the race served as a tune up and preview for what would be Becca Taylor's finest year as a racehorse.
Spending the winter and spring alternating between Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, Becca Taylor was just about invincible. She spent most of the season taking on stakes company, and she got that started with a win in the six furlong Spring Fever Stakes on the main oval in Arcadia. After stalking and battling with the pacesetter, Becca Taylor and Prat pulled ahead in the stretch to share another win.
Next came the Irish O'Brien Stakes on the hillside turf course right after St. Patrick's Day, and Becca Taylor's first try on that unique course was a good one. But, she just missed at the wire, taking second to Eddie's New Dream after setting the race tempo. Still, it was a fine performance, especially considering not every horse adapts to the hillside turf.
Becca Taylor was quick to get a new winning streak going. Sent back up to Golden Gate Fields in mid-May, she again won her battle with the early leader and pulled away late to win a six furlong allowance with Ayuso. That set her up for change in scenery, too. After spending so much time in minor stakes, Becca Taylor moved on up to graded company.
Returning to Santa Anita, Becca Taylor's next race was the Grade III Desert Stormer on the main track. Favored in a small field of four, Becca Taylor did what she almost always had. Teaming with a new rider in Juan Hernandez, Becca Taylor stalked and then dueled with Dance to the Music before putting on her patented move of pulling away late to win the first graded stakes of her career. But something bigger was next.
Back where it all began at Los Alamitos, Becca Taylor joined six more contestants in the Grade II Great Lady M Stakes. At 7-10 odds, no one thought Becca Taylor would be anywhere except for first place when the Great Lady M was finished. Once again, they were proven right. After sticking close to early leader Brandon'smylawyer, Becca Taylor emerged in front around the far turn and held off two of her rivals to win the biggest and last race of her career. Given it happened at the track where she had debuted, the moment was a full circle one for Becca Taylor.
With a record of five wins and one second in 2022, Becca Taylor earned the status of being the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Champion Cal-bred Older Female for the season. She also finished her racing career with nine wins and a second in ten starts.
It can be said that Becca Taylor was filled with both versatility and constants. She was almost always the strongest in the stretch, a terrific sprinter, and winning was certainly routine. But this bay daughter of Old Topper could use any running style, and she was fine on dirt, turf or synthetic surfaces. That versatility and those constants all add up to a clear answer:
Becca Taylor was really an amazing all around racehorse.