Stakes action was back on the Hawthorne turf course on Saturday as the return of the Illini Princess and Hawthorne Derby were run over the firm course. The Illini Princess was for Illinois-bred females at 1 1/16 miles while the Hawthorne Derby went at 1 1/8 miles. A wet Sunday washed The Pizza Man Stakes to the sloppy main track.
In the $60,000 added Illini Princess, 2019 race champ Bramble Queen made her return for trainer Mike Dini and was sent away as the 8-5 favorite. Leaving the gate quickly was talented three-year-old filly Katie M'Lady as jockey Julio Felix was able to clear the lead from the outside and carve out the early fractions. Chased by Cat Attack and Northern Alliance through quick fractions of :23.51 and :47.41, Katie M' Lady led the field into the final turn as favorite Bramble Queen and jockey Jareth Loveberry began to pick off horses. At the top of the stretch, Katie M'Lady held a three-length advantage while Bramble Queen had move into second. In the stretch, Katie M'Lady battled but Bramble Queen was too good, running by late to win by a length in 1:42.70. Katie M'Lady was a clear second while 21-1 longshot Embarrassing rallied to finish third.
Owned by Ballybrit Stable, LLC, Bramble Queen returned $5.40, $3.40 and $2.80. Katie M'Lady came back $5.00 and $4.20. Embarrassing returned $10.80 to show.
Following the race, jockey Jareth Loveberry was asked about his trip aboard Bramble Queen: “The race set up really well for her. I got to know her when I rode her a couple of times at Arlington Park. The filly, Katie M'Lady got away to a comfortable lead. I just tried to have as much horse left at the end and she did. The course seemed to be playing even, maybe even a little 'Good,' but I just tried to ride the horse, not the course. This was a good field, the 3-year-olds are getting better and better. This mare had a bunch of heart and just dug it out.”
Two races later, on the Saturday card, the 52nd running of the $100,000 Hawthorne Derby, presented by BetMakers, returned to the Hawthorne turf. With the scratch of morning-line favorite Last Samurai, the field of six saw Royal Prince, from the barn of Brad Cox, sent away as the 2-1 favorite. After the break in the 1 1/8 miles event, there was very little early pace as Temper Tantrum and Royal Prince guided the compact field through an opening quarter in :24.80 and a half in :50.32. With only three lengths separating the field from front to back on the run into the final turn, Modus Operandi and Grey Streak joined the due to challenge through three quarters in 1:14.41. Biding his time in the turn was Mohs and jockey Jareth Loveberry as the field turned for home. In the lane, Temper Tantrum grabbed a brief lead as Mohs split horses and raced into contention while Grey Streak battled on. At the wire, Mohs emerged three-quarters of a length ahead of Grey Streak for the victory while Temper Tantrum held third. Mohs covered the 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf course in 1:50.32.
Owned by ABL Stable, Dominic Bossone, Petter Donnelly and William Oberdorff and trained by Patrick McBurney, Mohs paid $6.20, $4.60 and $3.20. Grey Streak returned $5.40 and $3.40 while Temper Tantrum paid $3.60 to show.
With his second stakes win on the day, jockey Jareth Loveberry commented on Mohs victory: “I thought that there would be a lot more pace but nobody went. My horse settled nicely and we found a good trip and were fortunate to find a hold. I knew we needed to start picking things up because they were going so slow in front so I kind of just judged the horses in front of me and when they started picking things up, so did we. I was hoping we were going to find a hole and fortunately we did.”
On Sunday afternoon the rains began to fall at Hawthorne, washing The Pizza Man stakes off the grass to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the sloppy Hawthorne main track. The original field of 11 scratched down to six as Hawthorne dirt specialist Readthecliffnotes was sent away as the 7-5 favorite for trainer Michele Boyce. Getting away well in the sloppy going for jockey Edgar Perez, Readthecliffnotes made the lead through an opening quarter in :24.91 as longshot Iwillpersevere chased in second. Down the backstretch, Richiesgotgame ranged up to challenge through a half in :49.88. After three quarters in 1:14.09, it appeared Richiesgotgame was going to give jockey Jareth Loveberry a weekend stakes sweep as he put a head in front. In the lane, Readthecliffnotes dug in gamely and fought back, drawing clear by three-quarters of a length at the wire. Richiesgotgame was a clear second while Iwillpersevere held third. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on the dirt was 1:45.23.
Readthecliffnotes returned $4.80, $3.00 and $2.20 for owners Cherrywood Racing Stables, II, Terry Biondo and Laura Donohoe. Richiesgotgame returned $3.20 and $2.80 while Iwillpersevere paid $5.40 to show.
Hawthorne Race Course, Chicago's Hometown Track, races three meets in 2021. The spring thoroughbred meet concluded on April 25. The summer Suburban Downs at Hawthorne harness meet began Friday, May 7 and concluded on September 26. The fall thoroughbred meet opened October 8 and races through December 27. First post daily in October and November is 3:10 PM. In December, first post moves to 12:55 PM. For any information about Hawthorne Race Course visit the website www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.
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