By Alan Carasso
She looked to have it all to do entering the final three furlongs of Saturday's GII Rodeo Drive Stakes, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for the GI Filly and Mare Turf down at Del Mar in four weeks, but Hang the Moon (Uncle Mo) kicked it in approaching the stretch and outfinished the rail-skimming Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) to cause a 9-1 upset.
Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy), last-out winner of the GI Del Mar Oaks and favored at 3-2 while facing her elders here, led them along after some wayward ways across the dirt and took the field into the first turn, but failed to corner, going in basically a straight line at the first corner and carrying 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) well out into the track. Lucky Girl (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) kicked up at the fence and took over at the head of affairs and pinched a sizable advantage down the backstretch, but Kazushi Kimura had the recent winner of the GII John C. Mabee Stakes nice and relaxed, saving his filly for a finish.
Lucky Girl led the Rodeo Drive field into the final two furlongs, but Kimura had gone for Hang The Moon at the five-sixteenths, and they closed fast on the grandstand side. Aspen Grove rallied nicely at the fence, but Hang The Moon had slightly the better finishing kick and was along for the upset. Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber) rallied one path inside of the eventual winner and stayed on for third.
Hang the Moon was a two-time winner and stakes-placed while under the care of Mike Stidham and won her debut for this barn going a mile over this course June 9. A sound second to next-out GII Kentucky Downs Ladies' Turf winner Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar July 21, she trailed the field into the final half-mile of the Sept. 7 GII John C. Mabee Stakes, but took a gap between horses en route to a half-length defeat of Lucky Girl.
“She did a great job coming from behind,” Kimura said. “I really didn't change anything from last time (in the Mabee). I just took it easy and slow for the first part. She responded to me well. She finished up strong and I'm happy with that.”
Pedigree Notes:
On behalf of Repole Stable, bloodstock agent Jacob West went to $340,000 for Moondance carrying to Mastery at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale and each of the mare's three foals of racing age is a winner. A half-sister to Red Hot Buddha (Buddha) and from the extended family of GISW Beach Patrol and MGSWs Hurricane Bertie and Allamerican Bertie. The current 2-year-old out of Moondance is Fat City (City of Light), a $155,000 purchase by Dan Blacker and Craig Rounsefell's Boomer Bloodstock at Keeneland September last fall, and the yearling full-brother to the latter was bought back on a bid of $120,000 at Keeneland last month.
Moondance produced a filly by Mo Donegal May 18 and was subsequently covered by Uncle Mo.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
RODEO DRIVE S.-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 10-5, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 1:58.58, fm.
1–HANG THE MOON, 126, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Moondance, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Red Hot Bertie, by Tabasco Cat
3rd Dam: Clever Bertie, by Timeless Native
($200,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-CJ Thoroughbreds; B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Kazushi Kimura. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 12-5-1-1, $427,913. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Aspen Grove (Ire), 122, f, 4, Justify–Data Dependent, by More Than Ready. O-Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier; B-Glen Hill Farm (IRE); T-Jack Sisterson. $40,000.
3–Beach Bomb (Saf), 124, f, 4, Lancaster Bomber–Beach Beauty (Saf), by Dynasty (Saf). O-Cayton Park Stud; B-Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs. G. A. Rupert) (SAF); T-H. Graham Motion. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3/4, 1. Odds: 9.90, 3.00, 14.50.
Also Ran: Iscreamuscream, Sunset Glory (Ire), Be Your Best (Ire), Lucky Girl (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
🌙 #6 HANG THE MOON ($21.80) closes strongly to win the $200,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2) at @santaanitapark & guarantees herself a spot in the @BreedersCup Filly & Mare Turf.@kazushi0096 rode the 4YO Uncle Mo (@CoolmoreAmerica) filly for @PhilDamato11 and @CJThoroughbreds. pic.twitter.com/Ofc0ydsEpu
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 5, 2024
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