Montbrook closed out the decade as Florida’s Leading Sire for the fourth time when he topped the list again in 2009. On Jan. 16, he started a new decade off with just as much promise, as his 3-year-old daughter Amen Hallelujah proved best in the $150,000 Santa Ynez S. (G2) at Santa Anita to give Montbrook his thirteenth graded stakes winner.

Amen Hallelujah was turning back to seven furlongs in the Santa Ynez after back-to-back third-place performances in a pair of Grade 1s around two turns. The classy bay filly settled towards the back of the pack early before rallying gamely in the stretch and finishing on top by three-quarters of a length. She stopped the clock in a quick 1:21.39 over the local synthetic track, earning a very solid Beyer Speed Figure of 92. Amen Hallelujah earned a 94 Beyer last year winning a 2-year-old allowance race at Arlington Park, and her win in the Santa Ynez makes her one of fastest fillies of her crop.

“She’s really easy to ride. She’s calm, cool and you don’t have to do much as a jockey,” said Chantal Sutherland, who piloted the Montbrook filly to victory. “I could see they were going really fast on the lead, and I loved it. When I asked my filly she had plenty in reserve. The move she made was just fantastic.”

Trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr., Amen Hallelujah earned $90,000 Saturday to move her earnings to $222,370 for owners IEAH Stables and Whizway Farms. The win was her first in a stakes race and third overall from seven starts, which includes one second to go along with her pair of thirds in Grade 1 company.

Amen Hallelujah was bred in Florida by Thorobeam Farm and hails from the multiple stakes-winning Concorde’s Tune mare Sara’s Success. She was a $40,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate in 2008.