By Alan Carasso
Made the lukewarm 38-10 favorite for Saturday's GII Hill Prince S. at Aqueduct, Stuart Janney III's Celestial City (Uncle Mo) found his best stride entering the final eighth of a mile and outfinished Mackinnon (American Pharoah) for a maiden success at the stakes level.
Exiting a local allowance victory Sept. 24, having previously dead-heated for the place spot behind the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-bound 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) in a paceless renewal of Saratoga's GIII Saranac S. three weeks prior, Celestial City bobbled slightly at the start and dropped straight out the back, then was taken hold of by Jose Lezcano to sit second last out of the stretch. A touch keen as the speed dropped away through the middle stages, Celestial City nevertheless managed to save every inch of ground and had no stone in his path as he scraped paint around the second turn. Committed to that inside passage, Celestial City got a dream run through along the rail into the stretch, pressed away from the inside and into the three path at the furlong grounds and quickened up nicely for the victory. Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) closed well for third.
“I think he's learning now and I think we've learned a little something today with him not breaking well,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey, remarkably winning his first Hill Prince. “He got farther back than I thought he would, but he made a pretty explosive run so maybe that's what he wants to do.”
A maiden winner at second asking this past March, the bay narrowly missed in the May 29 Jersey Derby and was a good third in the Aug. 5 GII Hall of Fame S. at the Spa. Adding blinkers for the Saranac, Celestial City finished 5 1/2 lengths behind the front-running Annapolis before returning to winning ways last time.
McGaughey said the winner would be considered for the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Dec. 3.
“I'm not ready to stop as long as he's saying 'go,'” the Hall of Fame conditioner said.
Pedigree Notes:
Celestial City, who is out of a winning half-sister to GISW Hymn Book (Arch), becomes the 84th stakes winner and 46th graded winner for his versatile stallion. This is also the family of Janney III's GISW Data Link (War Front). The cross of Uncle Mo over A.P. Indy-line mares is responsible for the likes of Grade I winners Mo Donegal and Mo Town and additional graded winners Modernist and Mopotism. Lunar Evening is the dam of the yearling colt Waxing Moon (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a weanling colt by Mastery. She was most recently bred back to Uncle Mo.
HILL PRINCE S.-GII, $300,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-22, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.27, fm.
1–CELESTIAL CITY, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lunar Evening, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Vespers, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Sunset Service, by Deputy Minister
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Stuart
Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Jose
Lezcano. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-2-2, $347,920.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mackinnon, 118, c, 3, American Pharoah–Scat Means Go, by
Scat Daddy. ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $285,000 2yo '21
FTFMAR). O-ERJ Racing, LLC, Madaket Stables LLC & Dave
Kenney; B-International Equities Holding, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $60,000.
3–Grand Sonata, 120, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–A. P. Sonata, by
A.P. Indy. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Whisper Hill
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, NO. Odds: 3.80, 4.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Wicked Fast, Constitutionlawyer, St Anthony, Nantasket Beach, Limited Liability, Be Better, Unanimous Consent (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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