Seemingly at home on both synthetic and turf courses, No Mo Candy (Uncle Mo) picked up her third win in a row and her first in stakes company in the GIII Pebbles Stakes at Aqueduct.
Unveiled going 1m70 June 27 at Gulfstream Park, she missed by diminishing neck over that synthetic track and turned her luck around in that next start when she graduated July 26 by the same margin. Last seen putting up her best Beyer number to date, an 83 when she won against optional claiming company going a 1 3/16-miles over this surface during the Belmont Big A meet Sept. 20, she was an ice-cold 18-1 on the board here as Klaravich Stables's Oversubscribed (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) took the honors as 4-5 favorite.
Settling in second as the zealous frontrunner GSP Macanga (American Pharoah) stepped out to set the tempo, No Mo Candy was just off that leader for the majority of the race through :23.68, :47.61, and 1:11.57 splits. Still on hold as they swung into the lane, she was called on with three-sixteenths left to the wire and had a half-length margin leaving the eighth pole. Edging way from Oversubscribed as that favorite tried to mount a rally, No Mo Candy was 1 1/4 lengths ahead on the wire. Way to Be Marie (Not This Time) held on to third.
“She broke really good, and I know Macanga [No. 7] is a difficult horse and she's going to run off. When I tried to put [No Mo Candy] behind her, my filly got strong and I was like, 'don't get into a fight with me now.',” said winning rider John Velazquez.
“I didn't want to be head-and-head with the other horse. I hide her behind for a little bit and she got a little strong going into that first turn. I eased out on the backside and she kind of came back to me, so I was happy that she relaxed and gave me a little chance where I wouldn't be into her mouth.”
“Second turn, Macanga started going and I put her right behind them. Into the stretch, she got head-and-head, and you could see she put a competitive mind up and when I asked her to go, she did it nicely. First time for me to get on her I didn't know what to expect but she was very professional to do anything I wanted to do, other than she was a little aggressive than I wanted her to be the first part of the race.”
NO MO CANDY 🍭 the 3YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Uncle Mo, wins the Grade 3 Pebbles Stakes at 18-1 with @ljlmvel aboard for trainer @SaffieJosephJr. pic.twitter.com/nlLbmdpJBp
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) November 8, 2024
Pedigree Notes:
The fourth winner in a row from five to the races–the lone unplaced sibling being the 2-year-old Tongolele (Mastery)–and the first to secure black-type, No Mo Candy is her dam's most accomplished offspring. Sweet has also produced a yearling colt by Liam's Map as her most recent when she did not produce a foal off a visit to Mo Donegal for this year. She was bred to Pappacap for 2025.
The dam is a wining full-sister to GISW Fault and a half-sister to GSP Betweenhereandcool (Unbridled's Song) as well as the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up GISW Juju's Map (Liam's Map). This is the immediate female family of SW & MGSP South Bend (Alogrithms) and MGISW Bast (Uncle Mo).
Friday, Aqueduct
PEBBLES S.-GIII, $175,000, Aqueduct, 11-8, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.84, fm.
1–NO MO CANDY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Sweet, by Blame
2nd Dam: Charming N Lovable, by Horse Chestnut (Saf)
3rd Dam: St Lucinda, by St. Jovite
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($80,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Niall J. Brennan and Michael J. Ryan; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-John R. Velazquez. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $181,680. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Oversubscribed (GB), 122, f, 3, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Zurigha (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (400,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $35,000.
3–Way to Be Marie, 118, f, 3, Not This Time–Woman of the World, by Henrythenavigator. ($75,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $95,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Robert V. LaPenta and Madaket Stables LLC; B-William B. Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Rob Atras. $21,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2, 1. Odds: 18.20, 0.95, 12.10.
Also Ran: Jody's Pride, Whiskey Decision, See You Around (Ire), Macanga, Dea Matrona (Fr). Scratched: Best Impression, Save Us Melania.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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