Month: October 2022

Robin Doser and Metropolitan Thoroughbreds have sold a majority interest in 3-year-old colt Mo Money Mo Honey, undefeated in three career starts, to Mike Repole.

By Uncle Mo, campaigned by Repole to the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 2010 before becoming an influential sire, Mo Money Mo Honey has been transferred from Laurel Park-based trainer Benny Feliciano Jr. to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

“It's a storybook, man. I keep pinching myself. It's surreal. I'm not sure it's actually happening,” said R.J. Bistle, co-owner since 2005 of Metropolitan Moving & Storage in Laurel who races as Metropolitan Thoroughbreds. “It's unbelievable.”

“He arrived in New York OK. I'm sure Todd and his team want to take a look at him and make a decision where to put him,” he added. “It's exciting.”

A son and grandson of champions, Mo Money Mo Honey is out of the Curlin mare Stopshoppingdebbie, who won nine of 10 career starts including eight stakes at Emerald Downs in Washington from 2012-14. Despite his breeding, Mo Money Mo Honey fetched just $14,000 at Keeneland's September 2020 yearling sale.

He wound up on a farm in Kentucky where he was put up for sale along with other well-bred horses by sires such as American Pharoah and Tapit. Feliciano found him and Doser and Bistle agreed to split the purchase price – $15,000.

“He was kind of like a forgotten horse a little bit, just sitting there on the farm. I guess nobody had much faith in him,” Feliciano said. “He's well-bred; I don't know how he ended up out there. He was just sitting on that farm, and he was huge when we brought him in, big and fat. But, he is nice. It was hard to put him on that van.”

Mo Money Mo Honey debuted July 16 at Laurel, romping by six lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight, crossing the wire in 1:04.62 under a hand ride from Horacio Karamanos. He returned in a six-furlong entry-level allowance Aug. 14 against older horses and cruised by seven lengths in 1:09.54, then beat his elders again by 4 ¼ lengths in a second-level allowance Sept. 23 at historic Pimlico Race Course. The winning time was 1:09.92.

“He's running those times, and he just does it so naturally. I don't even know if he's a speed horse. I think he's just talented and he just goes to the lead,” Feliciano said. “I think he can do either or. We rated him the one time and he was fine. The best may be yet to come. He may be good going long. He might be a better horse at that. If he can carry that speed, he'll be dangerous no matter where he goes.”

Outside interest in Mo Money Mo Honey came quickly following his unveiling, and increased each time he ran. Ultimately, it was Repole's offer that won out.

“We received offers after all three of his races, and they gradually got bigger as the horse raced with more widespread interest,” Bistle said. “Our intention was to keep some money and stay with the horse, and doing both allowed us to have the benefit of both. We get to put some money in our pocket and we get to go watch the horse race as an owner. It's the best of both worlds, really.”

Bistle was quick to point out the contributions of Felicano, Maryland's Trainer of the Year in 1998, and his team for both finding and developing Mo Money Mo Honey.

“I'm so happy. I hope that this horse continues to do well and shines a positive light on horse racing at Laurel,” Bistle said. “Benny Feliciano deserves most of the credit for this. Benny found this horse and trained this horse perfectly and professionally. I hope that people at Laurel Park and elsewhere will realize how professional a job he did, especially considering this horse is not racing with equipment or medication. He's handled this colt perfectly. Benny and the people in his barn are the ones that transformed the horse into who he is today.

“He's a monster,” he added. “He's muscular, and we hope he stays fit. We hope God watches over him and keeps him healthy, because that's probably the hardest part of this business. We look forward to his future.”

The post Mike Repole Buys Majority Interest In Undefeated 3-Year-Old Mo Money Mo Honey appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Celebrity chef Bobby Flay's homebred Pizza Bianca will make her anticipated return following an international endeavor at Royal Ascot in Saturday's 28th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs on the inner turf at Belmont at the Big A.

Pizza Bianca has not raced since finishing eighth in the Group 1 Coronation Cup on June 17 at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet in England. The distant effort was the dark bay or brown daughter of Fastnet Rock's first off-the-board finish in six career starts and came after securing a victory in the Hilltop on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.

A smart winning ride by Jose Ortiz in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar put Pizza Bianca on the map following a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine in her second lifetime start. In the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Pizza Bianca broke from the rail in the field of 14, was last at the three-quarters point of call, split foes and weaved her way through traffic to win by a half-length and provide trainer Christophe Clement with his first Breeders' Cup triumph.

“She had a break after Ascot. We brought her back and gave her some time,” said Clement, who saddled Discreet Marq [2013] and Rutherienne [2007] to Sands Point scores. “I tried to get her ready for Saratoga, but she needed more time than that. She's doing well and we're excited to get her back.”

Jose Ortiz, the pilot aboard Pizza Bianca in her last four starts, will ride from post 9.

Clement also sends out Blue Devil Racing Stable's Canisy, who enters off a fifth-place finish to McKulick in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 17 at Belmont at the Big A.

The Point of Entry dark bay displayed different tactics in her two trips to the winner's circle, coming from off-the-pace to capture her 1 1/16-mile career debut on May 1 at Belmont Park before defeating winners in gate-to-wire fashion going nine furlongs on July 14 at Saratoga.

“She's training well. We tried running her long last time, and we're cutting her back in distance which should be more to her liking,” Clement said.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has ridden Canisy in five lifetime starts and will return to the saddle once more from post 4.

Trainer Graham Motion also sends out a pair of runners in Gary Broad's Vergara, a last out winner of the Dueling Grounds Oaks on September 5 at Kentucky Downs, and two-time winner Lady Baffled.

Vergara, by Noble Mission, will return to Aqueduct for the first time since November when capturing the Tepin. Third to Pizza Bianca in the Hilltop, Vergara earned graded stakes black type when second beaten a head in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen on August 6 at Woodbine.

Vergara's triumph in the Dueling Grounds Oaks was her first past the Sands Point distance. A close second down the backstretch, Vergara was in command around the far turn and fended off a late rally from returning rival Skims to win by a head under Joel Rosario.

“It's a tricky track. I have a love-hate relationship with that place myself, but she certainly seemed to handle it,” Motion said of Kentucky Downs. “She's always shown that kind of talent, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. Joel gave her a great ride. I think she likes Aqueduct and the mile and an eighth distance and she doesn't mind a little give in the ground.”

Rosario will return aboard Vergara from post 2.

RyZan Sun Racing's Lady Baffled will make her first start on grass as well as her debut for Motion. Previously trained by Kent Sweezey, the daughter of Frosted enters off a triumph against winners on August 19 over the Monmouth Park main track.

Bred in Kentucky by Twin Creeks Farm, Lady Baffled is out of the Graydar mare Baffling – a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and prominent sire Constitution.

Breaking from post 8, Lady Baffled will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will be in pursuit of his fourth Sands Point conquest when saddling Woodslane Farm's homebred Hail To. Albertrani previously garnered victory in this race with Raw Silk [2008], Gozzip Girl [2019] and Better Lucky [2012].

Hail To, by Kitten's Joy, sprung a 19-1 upset when defeating elders in a first level allowance at Saratoga on September 2. She made a sweeping six wide move in upper stretch, collaring pacesetter Blue Times and fending off an inside rally from next-out winner Transient to win by a half-length. The victory, her first triumph against winners, registered a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Hail To is out of the Dynaformer broodmare Dynaire, making her a full-sister to long-distance specialist Sadler's Joy, who captured the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park, both 12-furlong events, for Albertrani.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from post 6.

Eminent Victor will try to give four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown his sixth Sands Point victory, breaking from post 3 under Manny Franco.

Owned by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael J. Caruso, Eminent Victor was third in the Grade 1 Natalma at two and made her 3-year-old debut a winning one in the Wild Applause on June 25 at Belmont Park. The daughter of Mr. Z was narrowly beaten in the next out Grade 3 Lake George on July 22 at Saratoga, finishing a nose behind stablemate Dolce Zel. She was a last out troubled fifth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 20 at the Spa.

Completing the field are multiple graded stakes-placed Skims [post 1, John Velazquez], last out Virginia Oaks winner Spirit And Glory [post 5, Dylan Davis], and New York-sired stakes-winner Golden Rocket [post 7, Jose Gomez]. Baby Man is entered for the main-track only.

The Sands Point is carded as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post ‘We’re Excited To Get Her Back’: Pizza Bianca Returns From Four-Month Break In Saturday’s Sands Point appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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