5th-KEE, $69,953, Msw, 4-28, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:38.36, fm.
MERCY ANN (f, 3, Distorted Humor–Amen Hallelujah {MGSW & MGISP, $610,081}, by Montbrook) was sent off the 3-1 second favorite in Friday's fifth race at Keeneland to build upon a debut fourth in a nine-furlong turf test Apr. 8 in which she attended the pace before weakening in the final stages. Soon in front here for Joel Rosario, Mercy Ann was guided straight down onto the rail and was allowed a soft time of things on the engine. Held together nicely through the middle furlongs, the fashionably bred filly pinched a winning break when asked in upper stretch and covered her final quarter-mile in a smart :23.40 to best Jaunt (Harlan's Holiday) by two solid lengths. The winner's dam, twice Grade I-placed at two, was a top sophomore of her generation in 2010, winning the GII Davona Dale S. and the GII Santa Ynez S. while finishing second to longshot Champagne d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) as the favorite in that year's GI Acorn S. Amen Hallelujah was kept in training at four in 2011, hitting the board in the GI Madison S. and GI Humana Distaff S. on the dirt and in the GI Just a Game S. on the turf. The mare was acquired by the Courtelis's Town and Country Farms for $950,000 carrying Mercy Ann in utero at Keeneland November in the fall of 2013. The mare's foal of 2015, a Tapit colt named Julius, was knocked down to Juddmonte Farms for $600,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Amen Hallelujah was most recently bred to Into Mischief.$270,000 RNA Ylg '15 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $45,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
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