Mo Town backed up his 'TDN Rising Star' designation with an impressive victory while making his stakes debut here. A good second when taking a lot of play in his Aug. 27 debut going six furlongs at Saratoga, the bay graduated powerfully going a mile in the mud Sept. 24 at Belmont to earn his Rising Star badge. Bought into by the Coolmore contingent since, Mo Town missed the GIII Nashua S. because of a minor physical issue, but returned no worse for the wear with a five-furlong bullet (1/16) in :59 2/5 Nov. 19 at Belmont.
Breaking well in his first attempt going two turns at 21-5 here, the bay sat third in the early going as odds-on favorite and fellow 'Rising Star' Takaful sped away through a :23.47 quarter. That one attempted to slow it down on the backside to a :48.84 half, bringing Mo Town into a close second. Those two hooked up around the far turn and into the stretch and Mo Town started to do the better work approaching the eighth pole. He kicked clear by the sixteenth marker and held sway over No Dozing, who ran very well to be second after carrying all the ground on the second bend.
“Going back to March, we always felt this was a good horse,” winning trainer Tony Dutrow said. “Being around him, knowing all we do about how he went into each of his races, I felt strongly that he would run big today. For him to prove this much, I feel great.”
Dutrow continued, “I wanted the horse fresh and happy going into his 3-year-old year. I didn't use this horse. I didn't pressure this horse in getting him ready for today. I feel strongly that we have not seen what this horse is capable of yet.”
As for what's next next, Dutrow added, “He's going to go Payson [Park Training Center] and he'll have a very light December; next to nothing. I'll talk to the [owners] about what they are thinking, but if I owned the whole horse, I'd bring him up here for the Gotham. I'll talk to them about that and see how they feel.”
Pedigree Notes:
Mo Town is the first foal from winning John D. Gunther homebred Grazie Mille (Bernardini). The winner's second dam Molto Vita (Carson City), a $24,000 KEENOV purchase by Gunther in 2000, is a GSW/MGISP. She produced SW/GSP Jaguar Paw (Giant's Causeway). Mo Town's third dam was a graded stakes winner as well. Grazie Mille has since produced a yearling filly by Pioneerof the Nile and a weanling Super Saver filly. She was bred back to Uncle Mo this term.
Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $300,000, AQU, 11-26, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.58, ft.
1–#@MO TOWN, 116, c, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Grazie Mille, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Molto Vita, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Princess Polonia, by Danzig
'TDN Rising Star' ($200,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Susan Magnier,
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Team D; B-John D. Gunther &
Eurowest Bloodstock (KY); T-Anthony W. Dutrow; J-John R.
Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $243,600.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++ *Triple Plus*[bullet ad=”glennwood-bredraisedconsigned”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–No Dozing, 116, c, 2, Union Rags–Stay Awake, by Pulpit.
O-Lael Stables; B-M. Roy Jackson (KY); T-Arnaud Delacour.
$60,000.[bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”]3–Takaful, 116, c, 2, Bernardini–Sablah, by Distorted Humor.
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Shadwell Stable (KY); T-Kiaran P.
McLaughlin. $30,000.
Margins: 2HF, 3HF, HD. Odds: 4.20, 4.40, 0.85.
Also Ran: Win With Pride, You're to Blame, Tale of Silence, Tellmeafookystory, Hookup, Newman, Lead Astray.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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