Distorted Humor Colt Up From Florida to Graduate at Big A

6th-AQU, $65,000, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 1:40 1/5, ft. 
EMPOWER (c, 3, Distorted Humor–Magnificience {GSW, $163,378}, by Stormy Atlantic) took action all the way into 5-2 for his six-furlong debut at Gulfstream Park Dec. 19, but little went right that day, as he was wide and trailed in ninth. He found himself on a van back to New York a few days later and was getting Lasix for this two-turn debut after racing without the medication first time out. A stalking second as Read the Mirage (Forestry) set just a moderate pace, Empower was roused to the lead in upper stretch, dueled briefly with the front-runner into the final furlong, then held off a late run from Killer Crossover (Indian Charlie) to score by 1 1/2 lengths as the narrow 3.05-1 favorite. Howl (Arch), the joint-second favorite at 3.30-1, stumbled out of the gate and never landed a blow in sixth, while Supermonic (Latent Heat) brushed the gate at the break and lost his footing a few strides later and finished seventh. The winner’s dam was purchased for an even $1 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2008. Magnificience produced a full-sister to Empower in 2012 and is the dam of a yearling colt by Lonhro (Aus). Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $39,420. Click for the brisnet.com chart or VIDEO. 
O-Darley Stable. B-Darley (KY). T-Kiaran P McLaughlin.