Favored Harvest Moon Captures Torrey Pines In Stakes Debut

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon ran a perfect stalking race, then proved strongest late in capturing the $100,500 Torrey Pines Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

The 3-year-old filly test, run at a mile with six in the field, was Harvest Moon's third victory in four starts and her first score in a stakes race. She was handled by Flavien Prat, who was winning his meet-leading ninth stakes.

Harvest Moon, a daughter of Uncle Mo bred by Alice Bamford, took home $60,000 for the win pushing her earnings to $120,720. She paid $5 to win as the 3-2 favorite.

Finishing second was Pam and Martin Wygod's Secret Keeper and third was Feghali, Feghali or Mathiesen, et al's Paige Anne.

Harvest Moon covered the distance in 1:36.87 after fractions of :22.13,  :45.93,  1:11.16  and 1:23.76.

It was perfect,” said Prat. “She was nice and relaxed and I knew they were running very fast up front.  She's got speed if you want it, though.  Last time I hardly asked her to run.  Today, she was just waiting on me.  She won it very nicely.”

The stakes win was the ninth of the meet for rider Prat, but his first in the Torrey Pines. He now has 53 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Callaghan and his first in the Torrey Pines. He now has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.

“We were delighted,” said Callaghan. “This filly means a lot because I trained the mother (Qaraaba), which gives it a little extra sentiment. She's an exciting, big filly that we've been super patient with and it's great that she's coming in to doing what she's doing.”

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Uncle Mo Filly Stays Unbeaten on Dirt in Torrey Pines

Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) remained perfect in three starts going long on the dirt and gave her sire yet another new graded winner with a determined success in the GIII Torrey Pines S. on the Pacific Classic undercard.

The betting favorite was beaten for speed and was content to race in the one out and one back position with cover rounding the first turn as Secret Keeper (Into Mischief) led narrowly from Provocation (Into Mischief) to her outside. Mike Smith atop the latter upped the ante through the middle stages, sending Provocation into the lead at the 4 1/2-furlong marker, but Abel Cedillo held his ground at the fence and countered to regain command about an eighth of a mile later. In the meantime, Harvest Moon raced in a stalking third and in the clear and she came to turn up the pressure on Secret Keeper into the stretch. The latter boxed on gamely inside, but Harvest Moon had a bit too much, as she surged to the front a sixteenth of a mile from home and edged clear.

“It was perfect,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “She was nice and relaxed and I knew they were running very fast up front. She’s got speed if you want it, though. Last time I hardly asked her to run. Today, she was just waiting on me. She won it very nicely.”

A veteran of just three previous trips to the post, Harvest Moon was a debut third when well-bet for a one-mile turf maiden at Santa Anita June 12, but graduated by 1 1/2 lengths going two turns at Los Alamitos July 3. She doubled up with a handy 4 1/4-length allowance tally over course and distance July 27.

Pedigree Notes:

Harvest Moon is the eighth graded winner and 12th stakes winner this year for Uncle Mo, who is now the sire of 34 GSWs and 61 black-type winners overall. She is bred on the same cross over Storm Cat-line stallions responsible for the likes of GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist and additional graded winners Ultra Brat, Auntie Joy and Life’s A Parlay.

A half-sister to GSW and 2018 GI Del Mar Oaks third-place getter Californiagoldrush, Harvest Moon is a half-sister to the 2-year-old colt Mr. Impossible (Munnings) and a yearling colt by Air Force Blue. Grade III winner Qaraaba was most recently bred to Mendelssohn.

Saturday, Del Mar
TORREY PINES S.-GIII, $100,500, Del Mar, 8-22, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:36.87, ft.
1–HARVEST MOON, 120, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Qaraaba (GB) (GSW, $171,119), by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Mokaraba (GB), by Unfuwain
                3rd Dam: Muhaba, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Alice
Bamford & Michael B. Tabor; B-Alice Bamford (KY); T-Simon
Callaghan; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1,
$120,720. *1/2 to Californiagoldrush (Cape Blanco {Ire}), GSW
& GISP, $322,345. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Secret Keeper, 120, f, 3, Into Mischief–Candy Drawer, by
Candy Ride (Arg). O/B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Clifford W.
Sise, Jr. $20,000.
3–Paige Anne, 120, f, 3, Take Charge Indy–Forbidden Brew, by
Milwaukee Brew. ($120,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Elie & Lori
Feghali & Kimberly & Mark Mathiesen; B-Richard Peardon
(KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 5 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.50, 2.00, 24.50.
Also Ran: Aurelia Garland, Provocation, Sheza Girly Girl. Scratched: Merneith.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Donna Veloce Works Ahead of Ky Oaks

GSW Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) posted a six-furlong work at Del Mar Friday afternoon in advance of an upcoming start in the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs Sept. 4. Campaigned by Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the filly completed the task in 1:11.60, the fastest of seven moves at the distance Friday. Commencing at the five-furlong pole, she completed her first quarter in :25.00 followed by a half :47.80 before hitting the wire :59.80. She galloped out seven eighths in 1:26.20.

An $800,000 2-year-old in training sale buy at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale in 2019, she realized $450,000 at Keeneland September a year earlier. A first out winner at Santa Anita last September, she closed out her juvenile campaign with seconds in both the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Starlet S. before resuming in 2020 with a victory in her most recent start in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 8.

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Kentucky Oaks Probable Donna Veloce Works Friday At Del Mar

Donna Veloce, a stakes winning filly who is headed for the Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday, Sept. 4 for her next start, turned in a six-furlong work for that test at 12:45 this afternoon at Del Mar.

The daughter of Uncle Mo, owned by Kaleem Shah and Mrs. John Magnier, had Flavien Prat up as she covered the distance in 1:11.60 on a fast track during a sunny afternoon at the seaside oval. Her trainer, Simon Callaghan, looked on.

She started her work at the five-furlong pole, went her first quarter in :25.00, her second in :47.80 and hit the finish line in :59.80. She then continued on another furlong to her final time and finished up by galloped out seven eighths in 1:26.20.

The bay was an $800,000 2-year-old in training sale acquisition and – in four starts all told so far – has earned $490,000. She captured Santa Anita's Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 8 in her most recent out. Last year she won her first start in September at Santa Anita, then came back to just miss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 1 at Santa Anita. She completed her year by finishing second again in the Grade I Starlet at Los Alamitos in December.

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