Alex Campbell | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mean Mary Coast-To-Coast In Gallorette

The odds-on selection making her seasonal debut in Saturday's GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico, Mean Mary (Scat Daddy) gave her owner and breeder Alex Campbell, Jr. and trainer Graham Motion their second victory in four years in the race, adding to the success of homebred Ultra Brat (Uncle Mo) in bog-like conditions in 2018.

The clear speed in the scratched-down field of five, Mean Mary did no work whatsoever to lead a couple of strides away from the gates and was put to sleep up front by her regular partner Luis Saez, covering the opening quarter in :25.27 and the half in :50.92 while chased along by Flighty Lady (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}). She continued to lob along on a long rein and Saez began to up the tempo just a bit as they neared the stretch. Shaken up passing the three-sixteenths, Mean Mary was firmly in front entering the final furlong and was under mostly hand urging to score cozily, with a final five-sixteenths of a mile in a slick :27.81. Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) made good headway from last to round out the exacta.

“It was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything else, really,” Motion said. “I didn't know that they would let her go that easy on the lead. My main concern was that she was settled, that she was relaxed.”

Once known as a temperamental filly, Mean Mary made rapid progress once becoming more manageable and earned her first win at this level with a wire-to-wire tally in the 12-furlong GIII La Prevoyante S. in early 2020 before adding a front-running score in the GIII Orchid S. a couple of months later. A towering winner of the GII New York S. last June, the dark bay made the majority of the running in the GI Diana S. last August, only to be outgamed by future champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready). Coincidentally, Ultra Brat was beaten a nose by Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in the 2018 Diana. Mean Mary was last seen weakening to seventh, though not beaten far, in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7. Mean Mary could make her next appearance in the $750,000 GII New York S. at Belmont Park June 4.

Pedigree Notes:

Alex Campbell, Jr. acquired Mean Mary's second dam for $230,000 at the 2000 Keeneland July, raced her to a maiden win from eight starts and bred her to Dynaformer in her first year at stud in 2003. That first produce became Rocket Legs, who was second to Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill) in the 10-furlong GII San Marcos S. in early 2008. Campbell, Jr. sent The Right Pew back to Dynaformer that breeding season, a mating that yielded Karlovy Vary, front-running upsetter of the 2012 GI Central Bank Ashland S. over the Keeneland Polytrack. Mean Mary's year-younger half-brother Bye Bye Melvin won the 2020 GIII Saranac S. at Saratoga and dead-heated for fourth in Saturday's GII Dinner Party S. Karlovy Vary died in 2017.

Saturday, Pimlico
GALLORETTE S.-GIII, $148,500, Pimlico, 5-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.10, fm.
1–MEAN MARY, 122, m, 5, by Scat Daddy
          1st Dam: Karlovy Vary (GISW, $448,596), by Dynaformer
          2nd Dam: The Right Pew, by Pulpit
          3rd Dam: Packet, by Polish Navy
O-Alex G Campbell Jr; B-Alex G Campbell Jr Thoroughbreds
LLC (KY); T-H Graham Motion; J-Luis Saez. $90,000. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 10-6-2-0, $606,160. *1/2 to Bye Bye Melvin
(Uncle Mo), GSW, $159,965. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vigilantes Way, 122, f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Salute, by
Unbridled. O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.
$30,000.
3–Great Island, 122, m, 5, Scat Daddy–Voyage, by Rahy.
($160,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $300,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Alpha
Delta Stables LLC; B-Ben P Walden Jr & Larry Taylor (KY);
T-Chad C Brown. $15,000.
Margins: HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: 0.80, 8.10, 9.40.
Also Ran: Flighty Lady (Ire), Feel Glorious (GB). Scratched: Tuned (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Motion Eyeing Defense Of New York Stakes With Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Mean Mary

Alex G. Campbell's Mean Mary is eyeing a repeat win in the Grade 2, $750,000 New York on June 4 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., as her first start of 2021 for trainer Graham Motion.

The 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, out of Grade 1-winner Karlovy Vary, wintered in Florida at Palm Meadows before shipping to Motion's primary base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. She recently breezed five furlongs in 1:02.60 on April 12.

Motion said Mean Mary missed her initial target, the 11-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay on May 1 at Belmont Park.

“It took us a while to get going with her,” Motion said. “I would have like to have made the Sheepshead Bay, but we got a little behind so we're looking at the race in June.”

Last season, Mean Mary put together three straight victories against graded stakes company. Prior to capturing the New York, she won the Grade 3 La Prevoyante and the Grade 3 Orchid last winter at Gulfstream Park. She has not raced since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland.

Motion said True Valour returned from his international endeavor in Dubai in good order and could possibly make the Grade 1, $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur, a six-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up on June 5 at Belmont Park offering Breeders' Cup Win and You're In status.

Owned by R. Larry Johnson, Ture Valour finished sixth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Turf Sprint, arriving off stakes placings in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez at Santa Anita [second] and the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship [third].

“He had a really weird trip in Dubai,” Motion recalled. “He seems fine back at Fair Hill. We're just taking things easy with him at the moment. He could be possible for the Jaipur.”

Motion also has New York graded stakes in mind for Invincible Gal, who has not raced since running second in the Tepin on November 29 at the Big A. The 3-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit garnered black type twice last season, finishing second in the Sorority at Monmouth Park and the Selima at Pimlico on October 3.

Owned by Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley, Invincible Gal could make her seasonal bow in the seven-furlong Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly on May 15 at Belmont Park.

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Mean Mary Leads All The Way In New York Stakes For Fourth Straight Win

Alex G. Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary broke sharp from the outside post, led the six-horse field through every point of call and extended her lead in the stretch for a front-running 5 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 New York for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trainer Graham Motion saw Mean Mary start her 4-year-old campaign with consecutive graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, starting with the Grade 3 La Prevoyante in January and the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28.

The Scat Daddy filly improved to 3-for-3 in her 2020 campaign, with Luis Saez sending her to the front, where she posted comfortable fractions of 25.11 seconds for the quarter-mile, 51.55 for the half and three-quarters in 1:16.28 on the inner turf course labeled firm even after a slight rain shower earlier.

Out of the far turn, Saez kept Mean Mary driven as she pulled away from the field, completing the 1 ¼-mile course in a final time of 2:01.85.

Mean Mary won for the fourth straight time overall and improved to 5-1-0 in seven career starts. Saez has been aboard for every start during the winning streak.

“I had a lot of confidence in her today,” Saez said. “She always does everything right. Today, she was just galloping. The track feels good today and I think the rain helped her. She was super relaxed, even more so than her last race. She feels better now than she did last time.”

Off at 6-5, Mean Mary returned $4.40 on a $2 win wager. The Kentucky homebred improved her career earnings to $396,160.

“You always wonder a little bit about Florida; did she just suit that course? But this is so different than running at Gulfstream,” Motion said. “The way she did it was pretty impressive. I worried a little bit. You always worry a little bit with that much time away and I wanted to keep her fresh, but she also had to be fit.

“The course took a little bit of rain, but it's so different than what she had been running on,” he added. “I think she might be one of those horses where you don't have to make too many excuses.”

My Sister Nat, one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, edged the Christophe Clement-trained Feel Glorious by a neck for second after rallying from sixth. That marked the second straight race the French-bred daughter of Acclamation finished as the runner up, following her North American graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Long Island in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Call Me Love, also trained by Clement, ran fourth, followed by the Brown-conditioned Fools Gold and Valiance to complete the order of finish. Mrs. Sippy was scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on Belmont's Big Sandy in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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