By Alan Carasso
Off as the 3-1 favorite in the first-ever Grade I event to be contested at Kentucky Downs, Gold Square LLC's Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) came with an irresistible run three or four off the inside at the eighth pole and turned back a late challenge from the well-backed Yellow Card (Lost Treasure {Ire}) to take out the $2-million Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes Saturday afternoon.
Away alertly from his high draw, Howard Wolowitz was ridden positively by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and raced wide, but not far from Joe Shiesty (Air Force Blue), who wasn't the best away, but swept to the front as they reached the side of the course. Howard Wolowitz always had the pacesetter in his sights, even as he sacrificed ground, and he was asked for a sprint a quarter mile from home. Edging to the lead at the eighth pole, Howard Wolowitz was joined to his outside by Yellow Card–a 15-1 chance on the morning line and away at 6-1–but he turned away that bid and skipped clear to score in the time of 1:14.20 for the 6 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf, just 0.01 off the course record. A claim of foul by John Velazquez aboard Yellow Card against the eventual winner for interference inside the final furlong was quickly dismissed and the result allowed to stand. Mansa Musa (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) was third
Howard Wolowitz began his career inauspiciously under the care of Brittany Russell, finishing well down the field in a main-track maiden at Gulfstream in March, and he reappeared in this barn to graduate by 7 3/4 lengths over the Gulfstream Tapeta June 22. Drawn inside for his stakes debut in the Aug. 11 Mahony Stakes at Saratoga, he was unable to truly let down in traffic at a critical stage and settled for a what-might-have-been fourth.
“I really was very confident in him, he is a nice horse,” said trainer Jose D'Angelo, earning the first Grade I of his career. “He is hard to train; he has his own personality, like his name! So, I was pretty sure that the more ground for him and the long stretch was going to help him. And when Irad asked him, turning for home he responded very well.”
Pedigree Notes:
Howard Wolowitz becomes the sixth elite-level winner for Coolmore America's Munnings and he is the fourth Grade I winner out of a daughter of Uncle Mo.
Forget Me Not, whose stakes-placed dam was also responsible for two-time black-type winner Needs Supervision (Paynter), was acquired by Fred and Nancy Mitchell's Clarkland Farm for $80,000 in foal to Practical Joke at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. The Mitchells' daughter Marty Buckner is listed as the co-breeder of Howard Wolowitz. Forget Me Not is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly My Uncle Music (Complexity) and a yearling colt by Instagrand that is scheduled to be offered by Clarkland as hip 2024 at the Keeneland September Sale, which begins Monday in Lexington.
The mare was mated to Practical Joke, but did not produce a foal this season, and was bred back to Maximus Mischief. The Mitchells are perhaps best known for breeding the likes of Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) from Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek), of course also the dam of Into Mischief.
Saturday, Kentucky Downs
ARISTOCRAT FRANKLIN-SIMPSON S.-GI, $1,847,100, Kentucky Downs, 9-7, 3yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:14.20, fm.
1–HOWARD WOLOWITZ, 118, c, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Forget Me Not, by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Moroccan Rose, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Rose of Wendover, by Brent's Prince
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($240,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Martha Buckner & Matthew Ernst (KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $1,176,600. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $1,215,100. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Yellow Card, 118, c, 3, Lost Treasure (Ire)–Paris Girl, by Pulpit. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($19,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $87,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-James M. Daniell and Donna Daniell; B-Tiffiney K. Veloudis (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $386,000.
3–Mansa Musa (Ire), 118, c, 3, Ten Sovereigns (Ire)–Sundiata (GB), by Showcasing (GB). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (60,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; 55,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT; €49,383 RNA 2yo '23 GOFFDU). O-Gary Barber and Team Valor International LLC; B-Middlelane Farm (IRE); T-William I. Mott. $93,000.
Margins: 1, 3/4, HF. Odds: 3.06, 6.16, 5.31.
Also Ran: Evade (Fr), Please Advise, Bear River, Hedwig, Smokey Smokey, General Ledger, Apollo Ten, Vote No, Joe Shiesty. Scratched: Barksdale, How's Ur Attitude, Save the Trees, Where Ya At Vince.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#10 Howard Wolowitz is your newest G1 winner! 🏆
He wins the G1 Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs under @iradortiz for trainer Jose Francisco D'Angelo! 🤩💪
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/BrMkoi1NVT
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 7, 2024
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