Claim to Fame

By Steve Sherack

   When Randy L. Morse dropped a $40,000 claiming slip on Moonshine Mullin (Albert the Great) out of a runner-up effort at Remington last November, it’s pretty safe to say that Saturday’s GI Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs wasn’t on the 52-year-old trainer’s radar. 
    “He’s a nice-looking horse and I thought he would be the type of horse that would be good for Oaklawn in that $40-$50,000 range, and luckily he’s turned out to be a little better than that,” an understated Morse commented when reached by phone Thursday afternoon. 
    The super game GII Alysheba S. hero isn’t Morse’s first success story to come via the claiming box. Millionaire Morluc (Housebuster)–haltered for $50,000 during his sophomore season back in 1999–went on to win five stakes races, including the GIII Aegon Turf Sprint S. beneath the Twin Spires. The bay also suffered a pair of heart-breaking defeats when second in back-to-back renewals of the Hong Kong Sprint. 
    Well Noted (Notebook), hero of the 2000 GIII Razorback H., and multiple stakes winners Prospector’s Song (Prospector’s Music) and My Son Bill (Miswaki) also caught the eagle eye of Morse while competing in taggers before reaching their full potential out of the box. 
    “I’ve never had the owner clientele to put those real nice babies in my barn, so that’s about the only way you can get them [via claim], and we’ve been pretty lucky over the years–we’ve claimed some pretty nice horses,” said Texas native Morse, who currently trains between 35-40 head. 
    After a pair of decent efforts in his first two attempts for Morse and owner Randy Patterson, the aforementioned Moonshine Mullin caught fire with three straight wins at Oaklawn this term. He made it four in a row by turning back Golden Ticket (Speightstown) in game fashion in the Alysheba on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard. 
    The back classy 6-year-old won the 2011 Victoria Park S. at Woodbine and also finished a well-beaten second in Stay Thirsty (Bernardini)’s GII Jim Dandy S. while under the care of Reade Baker. Moonshine Mullin was also campaigned by Donnie Von Hemel and Steve Asmussen before joining the Morse barn late last year. 
    All systems are a go for the Stephen Foster, a “Win and You’re In” for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, according to Morse. Moonshine Mullin is listed at a generous 10-1 on the morning-line. 
    “He’s doing good,” said Morse, who also trained millionaire Jonesboro (Sefapiano). “It’s a really tough race, but he’s doing well.” 
    If Moonshine Mullin continues his winning ways in Louisville this weekend, it would mark a career high for Morse. Sharing the moment with one of his longtime clients would be the icing on the cake. 
    “It would be great,” Morse said of winning his first race at the top level. “Everybody who trains horses wants to win a Grade I. It would really be special. The guy who owns him is really a good guy, too. He’s a cattle buyer from Anthony, Kansas. He’s been a big supporter of mine and that would make it extra special.”