2nd-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-14, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.18, fm, 1 3/4 lengths.
MOMA (f, 2, Uncle Mo–Discreet Moon {GB}, by Malibu Moon) muscled her way between horses like a seasoned runner to kick clear for conditioner Todd Pletcher and owner/breeders Wertheimer and Frere. Squeezed slightly at the break when rivals came in on her, she tracked contentedly from the rear of the field with only two others beaten going into the first turn. Saving ground as pacesetters put up :23.56 and :48.35 fractions up the backstretch, she cut the final corner into third as the field fanned out and took aim on the leaders. Splitting them effortlessly, Moma kicked clear and came home best by open lengths despite a slight bobble in the final yards. Root Cause (Into Mischief) came on well for second. Moma is out of a French-raced half to GISW Awesome Maria (Maria's Mon). She has a yearling half-sister Mooncurl (Curlin) and Discreet Moon visited Good Magic for 2023. The third dam is GI Alabama victress Pretty Discreet (Private Account), who produced GISW, track record-setter Discreet Cat (Forestry) and MGISP Pretty Wild (Wild Again). MGSP Courtesan (Street Sense) also makes an appearance beneath that third dam. “She really did have a nice kick turning for home. She didn't jump well, which actually worked to our benefit…I loved the way she kicked on in the last part,” said Pletcher post-race. “She'd been training well on dirt, but bottomed out a bit. She gave us a bit of a turf impression when we put her on the grass. It's pretty obvious she moved forward on it.” Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
