With a burst of energy that was present from the bell, Will Stroud's Long Neck Paula (f, 2, Uncle Mo–Take Charge Paula, by Take Charge Indy) broke her maiden on debut at Churchill Downs on Thursday and earned herself a 'TDN Rising Star' badge.
Drawing into the body of the field off the also-eligible list, the 3-1 chance shot out to the front from post 11 and set the tone up the backstretch. Though she was briefly joined by favored Preciseness (Into Mischief), the $500,000 OBS March graduate shrugged off that opponent around the far turn and quickly moved to the rail for the final eighth of a mile. The Wesley Ward trainee used her extra gears to put away any threat from fellow firster Minty (McKinzie). She won by 3 1/2 lengths and punctuated the score with a strong gallop out.
The winner's dam GSW Take Charge Paula, who was campaigned by Peter Deutsch, is responsible for five foals, two of which have raced. Long Neck Paula's older half-sister in-training with Todd Pletcher is 3-year-old On Moonlight Bay (Medaglia d'Oro)–a $160,000 Keeneland September buy for St. Elias Stables. She also has a yearling half-brother by Nyquist.
Take Charge Paula was herself purchased by Chester and Mary Broman for $360,000 at last year's Keeneland November Sale with a colt in utero by Cyberknife who was foaled Apr. 18. Before that in 2018, WinStar went to $475,000 to acquire her at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale.
Long Neck Paula is the 16th 'TDN Rising Star' for her hegemonic sire Uncle Mo.
3rd-Churchill Downs, $122,102, Msw, 5-2, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :51.56, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.
LONG NECK PAULA, f, 2, Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Take Charge Paula (GSW, $451,700),
by Take Charge Indy
2nd Dam: Perfect Paula, by Songandaprayer
3rd Dam: RA Hydee, by Rahy
Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $500,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Will Stroud; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.
#13 Long Neck Paula wins on debut going gate-to-wire in R3 at Churchill Downs for trainer Wesley Ward with @ljlmvel in the saddle! 🌟
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/0d5UMcGtJz
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 2, 2024
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