Ed Moger Jr. seeks the biggest win of his career March 5 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
Infatuated with racing at a young age, he began training in 1976 and has been successful while maintaining a low profile in both Northern and Southern California for nearly half a century.
But with more than 1,900 career victories, the man knows how to win.
Saturday at Santa Anita, Moger will try to capture the track's historic marquee race for older horses, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava' Resort & Casino, with an industrious 4-year-old that to date has tackled the game's elite yet remains beneath racing's radar.
The horse is Stilleto Boy, owned by Ed's younger brother, Steve, 58, who bought the gelding with the highest bid of $420,000 last July at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.
With only two wins but three seconds and five thirds from 13 starts, Stilleto Boy has rewarded the Mogers' confidence, with career earnings of $833,175.
The chestnut son of Shackleford would seem to have more than a longshot's chance in the mile and a quarter classic, as he has been chasing the likes of A-List horses Knicks Go, Life Is Good, Medina Spirit and Flightline.
“He's doing really good,” said Moger, who sent Stilleto Boy five furlongs Saturday morning in 1:02 under Juan Hernandez. Stilleto Boy went in company with stablemate Gotham Desire who received an identical clocking. “Knock on wood, everything's great,” Moger said.
“I think he'll benefit from the mile and a quarter. He ran well at that distance in the Breeders' Cup (Classic, finishing fifth behind front-running winner and eventual Horse of the Year Knicks Go), but the race was just too tough for him.”
Beaten 3 ¼ lengths by victorious Life Is Good and a length by runner-up Knicks Go last out in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, Stilleto Boy did not have the smoothest trip in the mile and one eighth race.
“I was with him when he came back from Florida,” said Moger, “and he seemed tired, so I planned to just walk him for a couple weeks.
“But after about four days, we had to get him back to the track. He was tearing the barn down, so he's doing really good.”
A native of Lakeland, Fla., who turns 66 on April 5, Moger started his career as a groom for trainer Jay Mills while attending the University of Washington in the mid-1970's.
All these years later he's a multiple graded stakes-winning trainer with career earnings over $29 million, but nothing would be sweeter than putting a victory cap on it – a Big 'Cap victory.
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