Unhurried early under Flavien Prat, Mo Forza closed with a furious rush to nail front-running Smooth Like Strait in the final strides of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. The 5-year-old horse by Uncle Mo out of Inflamed, by Unusual Heat, was winning his fourth consecutive graded stakes – including last year's City of Hope Mile – and eighth race overall from 14 starts.
Smooth Like Strait, who went to the lead under Umberto Rispoli, then allowed Red Storm Risen to head him in the run down the backstretch, edged a fast-closing Hit the Road for second as the 9-5 second choice. Hit the Road, off at 5-1, was well clear of Red Storm Risen in fourth and Order and Law completed the order of finish.
Trained by Peter Miller and owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, Mo Forza was bred in Kentucky by the late trainer Barry Abrams in the name of his Bardy Farm.
Mo Forza covered the mile on firm turf in 1:32.45 after fractions of :22.61, :46.66, 1:08.98 and 1:20.57. He paid $3.20 to win.
Mo Forza was coming off a hard-fought head victory over Smooth Like Strait in the G2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 21, his first start since last year's City of Hope Mile. In this year's edition of the City of Hope, Prat settled Mo Forza at the back of the pack as Smooth Like Strait rushed up to take command early from the five post, holding a clear advantage while rounding the first turn.
In the run down the backstretch, Joe Bravo swung Red Storm Risen – who had broken from the rail post – to the outside and ranged up alongside Smooth Like Strait, taking a short lead into the far turn.
Prat, meanwhile, kept Mo Forza to the outside of Hit the Rail and Florent Geroux, and commenced a rally around the three-eighths pole. At midstretch, Smooth Like Strait looked home free, but in the blink of an eye Mo Forza pounced on the front-runner with Hit the Road racing to his outside.
Mo Forza closed with a rush, hitting the front in the final strides and looking like a serious contender for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
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