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Mo Donegal Wins Narrow Victory Over Zandon In Remsen

With 2022 Kentucky Derby points on the line, Mo Donegal and Zandon battled down the stretch in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, with Mo Donegal getting a nose victory over the Chad Brown trainee in a close photo finish at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

A winner at 1 1/16 miles last out, Mo Donegal sat toward mid-pack in the field of eight throughout the first part of the 1 1/8-mile Remsen, with Zandon sitting third behind leader Fromanothamutha, who set early fractions of :25.18 and :51.47 around the first turn and down the backstretch. On the far turn, Midnight Chrome and Mr Jefferson moved past Fromanothamutha, taking over 1-2 briefly as Zandon split them and took the lead into the stretch.

In traffic on the far turn, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. took Mo Donegal to the outside, going five-wide into the stretch. As the field straightened out for home, Zandon was second behind Fromanothamutha, who tired as Mo Donegal, running down the center of the track, took the lead. Zandon hooked up with Mo Donegal midstretch, with Mo Donegal holding a short lead as they came together. Zandon was not done, battling back and trying to pull even with Mo Donegal as they approached the wire. At the finish, Mo Donegal was a nose in front. The close contact between the two down the stretch and a bump as they ran together in the last sixteenth led John Velazquez to claim foul again Ortiz. The inquiry went to the stewards, who upheld the results.

The final time was 1:53.61. Find this race's chart here.

Mo Donegal paid $4.90, $2.70, and $2.30. Zandon paid $3.00 and $2.70. Midnight Chrome paid $7.10.

“We were watching the inquiry upstairs and they put it into four screens so it was hard to see, obviously they came close together right at the finish. I'd have to watch it again. I couldn't see from up there if they touched or not, but Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] did say it was right at the wire,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the Remsen. “I thought he ran great. He was getting a good, ground-saving trip and put himself in a good spot. He kind of had to angle out a little bit and lost some ground there but it looked like when he got there he is still trying to figure out how to polish it off. The other horse battled back.”

“We were down the lane fighting in a big race. He [Velazquez] was riding his horse and I was riding mine. It was a good race and we got together a little before the wire, but it was a beautiful race. He [Mo Donegal] tried his hardest and I did my best. We got lucky with the head bob and got there,” jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “I was looking for some room [at the turn for home] and there were four horses in front of me. So, I had to wait a few jumps and go around. It probably cost me a length and a half. He idled a little bit. He's a young horse and I tried to meet the other horse and keep going. As soon as he got to the other horse, he fought back. He was ready.”

Bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables, Mo Donegal is by Uncle Mo out of the Pulpit mare Callingmissbrown. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 2-year-old colt is owned by Donegal Racing who purchase the colt from Ashview Farm for $250,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his victory in the G2 Remsen, Mo Donegal has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $197,800. He also earns 10 points toward the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Zandon earns four points, Midnight Chrome two points, and Mr Jefferson one point.

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Mo Donegal Tops Remsen Field

Donegal Racing's Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) will go postward as the likely favorite Saturday in Aqueduct's GII Remsen S. Third on debut sprinting at Belmont Sept. 30, the $250,000 KEESEP acquisition earned his diploma when extended to a route of ground at Big Sandy Oct. 21, earning an 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We feel like the mile and an eighth will suit him well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He had a good work at Belmont last week. It seems like the further he goes, the better he gets.”

Chad Brown saddles a live chance in Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart). The dark bay rallied to victory in a six-panel event in Elmont Oct. 9.

“He ran one time going six furlongs and he won, but I've always thought of him as a pure route horse,” Brown said. “The fact that he was able to go three-quarters, I was quite impressed. I thought he would've been a late-running horse that would have needed a start, but he won. I was quite impressed by that because I don't think that's what he wants to do at all.”

Courtlandt Farms' Judge Davis (Distorted Humor) already has black-type experience, finishing third in the Nov. 7 GIII Nashua S. at Belmont. A well-beaten fourth in his career bow sprinting at Saratoga Aug. 21, the bay earned his diploma next out going two turns in the mud at Belmont Sept. 24. He adds blinkers for this event.

Who Hoo Thats Me (Keen Ice) boasts the field's highest Beyer Speed Figure, an 84, which he earned when third last time in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow S. going a mile Oct. 30. Runner-up in his Saratoga unveiling Aug. 12, the bay was fifth in the Empire-bred Funny Cide S. 15 days later. He broke his maiden in a state-bred event at Belmont Sept. 25 prior to the Sleepy Hollow.

The post Mo Donegal Tops Remsen Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Pure Route Horse’: Impressive Maiden Winner Zandon Stretches Out For Saturday’s Remsen

Jeff Drown's impressive maiden winner Zandon will attempt to rise to the occasion in Saturday's 106th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen for juveniles going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Remsen, which offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers, has seen a number of past winners go on to win the “Run for the Roses” including, Johnstown [1938], Carry Back [1960], Pleasant Colony [1980], Go for Gin [1993] and Thunder Gulch [1994].

Trained by Chad Brown, who won the 2014 Remsen with Leave the Light On, Zandon was a 1 ½-length winner of his six-furlong debut on October 9 at Belmont Park.

Despite hitting the gate at the break, the son of second crop sire Upstart recovered and sat two lengths off the pace while saving ground in fourth down the backstretch. Joel Rosario angled Zandon a couple of paths wide down the lane and he garnered command in the final furlong to register an 80 Beyer Speed Figure on debut.

Brown said Zandon will appreciate the added distance.

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Zandon is out of the unraced Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail – a half-sister to stakes-winners Cariba and Cairo Memories. He was bought for $170,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by his breeders' Airdrie Stud.

Rosario, who piloted last year's winner Brooklyn Strong, will attempt back-to-back Remsen scores when returning aboard Zandon from post 7.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle second-out maiden winner Mo Donegal for Jerry Crawford's Donegal Racing, who captured the 2011 Remsen with O'Prado Again.

Mo Donegal, a bay son of Uncle Mo, stretched out from 6 1/2-furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to break his maiden at second asking on October 21 at Belmont Park. Mo Donegal, heavily coaxed around the far turn, found his second wind in deep stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths while recording an 82 Beyer.

Pletcher previously captured the Remsen with Bluegrass Cat [2005] and Overanalyze [2012], both of whom contested in the following year's Kentucky Derby.

“We feel like the mile and an eighth will suit him well,” Pletcher said. “He had a good work at Belmont last week. It seems like the further he goes, the better he gets.”

Mo Donegal was bought for $250,000 from the Ashview Farm consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the Pulpit mare Callingmissbrown, who is out of the Grade 1-winning millionaire Island Sand.

Leaving from post 1, Mo Donegal will be ridden by return pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will seek a fifth Remsen victory when sending out Judge Davis, who was a last out third in the Grade 3 Nashua on November 7 at Belmont Park.

Owned by Donald and Donna Adams Courtlandt Farms, the Distorted Humor bay was a distant fourth to eventual graded stakes winner Major General in his August debut at Saratoga going six furlongs before stretching out to 1 1/16 miles to break his maiden on September 24 over a muddy main track at Belmont Park.

Jose Ortiz will return to the saddle aboard Judge Davis, who adds blinkers, from post 3.

Trainer Michael Trombetta will send out R. Larry Johnson's Maryland homebred Mr. Jefferson, the lone two-time winner in the Remsen field.

The son of leading third crop sire Constitution broke his maiden at second asking in August going six furlongs at Colonial Downs. Following a distant fourth in a return to grass at Laurel Park, Mr. Jefferson added blinkers and defeated winners at 1 1/16 miles over the Laurel main track on November 4.

Mr. Jefferson is out of the Malibu Moon mare Clockstrucktwelve – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Never Enough Time.

Kendrick Carmouche will ride Mr. Jefferson from post 8.

Owners Cash Is King Racing and L C Racing and trainer Butch Reid, Jr. captured the 2018 Remsen with Maximus Mischief and will vie for another victory with Eloquist.

The son of Nyquist found the winner's circle last out when capturing a one-mile maiden event on October 20 at Parx. The win was a major turnaround in form for Eloquist, who finished a distant sixth in his prior two starts.

Dylan Davis will ride Eloquist from post 6.

Trainer Jorge Abreu will saddle Gold Square's New York-bred stakes-placed Who Hoo Thats Me, who was a last-out third in the Sleepy Hollow on October 30 at Belmont. The son of freshman sire Keen Ice broke his maiden at third asking by two lengths on September 25 at Belmont.

Trevor McCarthy will ride from post 2.

Completing the field are maiden Fromanuthamutha [post 4, Manny Franco], who finished second to Remsen aspirants Mo Donegal and Judge Davis in his previous two starts for trainer Ray Handal, and Monmouth turf maiden winner Midnight Chrome [post 5, Luis Saez] for trainer J. Tyler Servis.

The Remsen is carded as Race 8 on Saturday's 10-race program, which is spearheaded by the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets, and includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle and the Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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Brown-Trained Maiden Winner Zandon May Stretch Out In Remsen

Trainer Chad Brown is considering a somewhat unusual move with the promising 2-year-old Zandon, reports the Daily Racing Form. Winner of a Belmont Park maiden special weight over six furlongs on Oct. 9, the son of Upstart could next be entered in the G2 Remsen over 1 1/8 miles this Saturday at Aqueduct.

The Remsen offers the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

It would be an abnormal move for Brown, who typically utilizes a slower progression with his charges. Zandon had been targeted for the Nov. 7 Nashua, but a mild illness kept him out of that race.

Brown told DRF Zandon reminds him of his 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, who won sprinting on debut then finished second at 1 1/16 miles in the Gotham in his second start.

“He looks like him,” Brown said. “He's a big, good-looking black horse that was able to win sprinting and he's not a sprinter.”

Zandon, out of the Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail, was a $170,000 yearling at the Keeneland September sale. Purchased by Mike Ryan on behalf of owner Jeff Drown, the colt is from the family of top Maryland-bred Hello Beautiful.