New York-bred Mo Plex earns 96 BSF in G3 Ohio Derby score

• New York-bred Mo Plex earns 96 BSF in G3 Ohio Derby score
• Well-related Friend Ofthe Devil eyes stretch-out after NYSSS Spectacular Bid romp
• ‘A chance to be a really nice horse’ Cugino impresses McGaughey
• Striker Has Dial on track for G2 Honorable Miss
• May Day Ready aims for G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational

New York-bred Mo Plex earns 96 BSF in G3 Ohio Derby score

R and H Stable’s New York-bred Mo Plex utilized a prominent trip under jockey Joe Ramos to capture Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby, a nine-furlong route for sophomores, at Thistledown.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the Complexity colt successfully navigated two turns for the first time to post a two-length win over mutuel favorite Chunk of Gold, who was most recently ninth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Mo Plex, who entered from a prominent head score in the Listed Bay Shore on April 19 here, broke outward from the outermost post 8 but was quickly corrected to prompt the pace of Grade 1 Preakness-runner Clever Again through splits of 23.42 seconds, 47.75 and 1:12.04 over the fast main track. 

Ramos gave Mo Plex his cue through the final turn and easily dispatched of the pacesetter with plenty in the tank to stave off the late run of Chunk of Gold in a final time of 1:50.72 to register a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. McAfee, a close second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan here in May, landed another two lengths back in third.

“I was really happy with him yesterday. He ran really well,” Englehart said. “I thought Joe did a really nice job with him. He handled that break well and didn't rush him up too much. He let him get into his own rhythm and rode him perfectly, really.”

Mo Plex boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 8-5-1-2, kicking off his career last summer with three consecutive scores, including six-furlong victories at his Saratoga Race Course home base with a one-length win in the Grade 3 Sanford and a nose triumph after a stumbling start in the state-bred Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

He stretched out to a one-turn mile in the Grade 1 Champagne on October 5 here and was a distant third after trying rating tactics for the first time and concluded his juvenile campaign three weeks later with a runner-up effort in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow won by Sacrosanct, who was a perfect 4-for-4 as a 2-year-old.

A bobbled break in his seasonal debut saw Mo Plex finish a half-length third in the local state-bred Gander in March, but he returned to winning ways as a game head winner of the Listed Bay Shore on April 19, earning an 88 Beyer in the seven-furlong sprint.

Englehart said after the Bay Shore win that he wished he had decided to chase the Kentucky Derby a little more and noted Sunday morning that he wasn’t at all surprised by the colt’s ability to handle a route of ground.

“I've always thought he wouldn't have a problem going the distance, it's just the races we ran him long in might not have been the best gauge on how far he'll go,” Englehart said. “I think two-turns is definitely an advantage for him. He's a neat horse that's always trying and gives you his all every time. As a trainer, that's all you can ask for.

“I was telling Joe before the race that in the Champagne we probably wanted to rate him a little too much,” Englehart added. “I think he's the type of horse you just take a nice, long hold and let him do his thing. He's never really shown me any limitations in his races, especially watching him gallop out and in his training, he just keeps going and going. Yesterday, it looked like the same thing - as he got to the wire, he re-broke again and was very difficult to pull up even after the race.”

Englehart said that Mo Plex exited the Ohio Derby in good order and will now likely point to a nine-furlong race in Saratoga with the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 26 and the state-bred $200,000 Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company on August 21 under consideration. The Jim Dandy is the local prep for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23.

“Being a Saratoga guy, that was my first thought after the race,” said Englehart of a potential start in the Jim Dandy. “Whether or not that's what we do is another story. Everything about Saratoga is magical to me and I get to spend 365 days a year there. It's special. If that's the route we go and we end up choosing the Jim Dandy and it works out well and he's able to earn a spot for the Travers, it would make for a very fun summer.”

No matter where Mo Plex ends up, it will make for a fun summer for the co-owners of R and H Stable as Rick Higgins is a Saratoga Springs resident, and Howard Read lives in nearby Albany.

“Rick and Howard are both local and even the breeders, Everything's Cricket Racing, live on the backstretch side of the Oklahoma and they get to see him train up here all the time,” Englehart said. “I've always been a big believer in the New York-bred program. This year, probably even more so - of the 20-something 2-year-olds and yearlings we bought this year only two or three were non New York-breds. 

“I love New York racing, and I love being able to be local and stay here in the wintertime,” Englehart continued. “I've built my stable around my barn here and the owners who really enjoy the experience of having a horse in Saratoga and being able to train there from April to November. It's why we look for as many New York-breds as we can.”

Englehart selected Mo Plex for just $45,000 from the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and the talented colt, who has now banked $745,000, is showing tremendous upside as he progresses in his sophomore campaign.

“I owe a lot to Legion Bloodstock,” said Englehart of the agency founded by Kyle Zorn, Travis Durr, and Kristian Villante. “They shortlisted him for me and when I saw him, I saw exactly what they saw. I thought we got a good price for what horses normally sell for at that sale, but the horse has blossomed himself, too. A lot of times, it's not just what's on the outside. To us, he had the physical makeup we wanted to see, but we probably didn't realize what was on the inside of him - he's a competitor, and he's going to make you earn everything when you run against him. He's a special horse.”

And a special horse will receive a hero’s welcome when he returns to Englehart’s Spa barn on Sunday.

“The barn is excited,” Englehart said. “His groom and exercise rider - Oscar and Adorno - both went out for the race. They've done a great job with him. My assistant and foreman, Talia and Harlem, are all excited. They can't wait for him to get back.”

Well-related Friend Ofthe Devil eyes stretch-out after NYSSS Spectacular Bid romp

While Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets-winner Sovereignty basks in the spotlight as the nation’s top 3-year-old, a close relative announced his presence in New York’s sophomore turf division when Friend Ofthe Devil romped to a four-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A. 

Blue Devil Racing Stable and Jerold Zaro’s Friend Ofthe Devil is out of the Bodemeister mare Fabuleux, and his second dam is stakes-winner Sluice – Sovereignty’s third dam. The relation comes even closer when looking at the top line, as Sovereignty is by Into Mischief and Friend Ofthe Devil is by a son of that sire, Honest Mischief. 

“He’s from the same exact female family as Sovereignty, and that gives me cause for optimism that this could be an interesting horse,” said trainer Carlos Martin. “He goes fast, but if you take a hold of him, he doesn’t have to go in 43 [seconds], he can go in 47.” 

Friend Ofthe Devil showed great talent in his victory Saturday, cruising wire-to-wire under Chris Elliott while never under serious threat through splits of 21.98 seconds, 43.92 and 55.40 over the firm footing. He edged clear in the lane under a hand ride to score in a final time of 1:07.41, matching a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. 

“He’s fresh and happy, and I couldn’t be any more pleased,” Martin said of how the colt was behaving Sunday morning. “I haven’t had a 3-year-old with this kind of speed in a long time, especially on the grass. Some of these horses when they go fast like that, they’re shortening their stride at the end and staggering to get home, but this son of a gun looks like he re-breaks at the eighth pole.”

Friend Ofthe Devil has shown marked improvement on the turf, boasting a 3-for-3 record over it by a combined 13 3/4 lengths as opposed to three distant off-the-board finishes on dirt. Martin said he is unsure exactly why Friend Ofthe Devil has relished the grass, but that it was undoubtedly the key to unlocking the potential he always showed in the morning. 

“It’s a great question. It just seems like he relaxes better on turf, and on the dirt, he seemed a little discombobulated,” Martin said. “I think he just gets comfortable when he’s out there being the boss.” 

The strength Friend Ofthe Devil showed through the lane, as well as his strong pedigree laced with route horses, has convinced Martin that the bay can handle more ground in the next division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series – the one-mile $150,000 Cab Calloway on August 14 at Saratoga Race Course. 

“The dam was by Bodemeister, who was second in the Derby and could go further,” Martin said. “I’m excited about this horse, and he’s so cool the way he does everything. He’s very straightforward and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with him. Just keep him sound and happy, and don’t do anything silly. We just stay out of his way.”

Bred in New York by Laurel Least, Farview Farm and Robert M. Tugel, DVM, Friend Ofthe Devil was a $145,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale.

‘A chance to be a really nice horse’ Cugino impresses McGaughey

West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig’s Cugino impressed his Hall of Fame-trainer Shug McGaughey with a winning 4-year-old debut in a Thursday optional-claimer going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf at Belmont at the Big A. 

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the Twirling Candy bay saved ground 1 1/2 lengths back in third position during the early going, tipping to the two-path in the stretch to split rivals and inch clear for a one-length victory over Exact Estimate in a final time of 1:40.99, which returned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure. 

“I think Cugino has a chance to be a really nice horse,” said McGaughey. “I was not surprised with the way he ran. He trained really well. I was having a hard time getting a race for him. We finally got one and he came through, so I’m very pleased with him.” 

Cugino could easily already be considered a very nice horse– he holds a 10-4-4-0 record with $559,410 in earnings, highlighted by Listed wins as a sophomore in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park and Audubon at Churchill Downs. He is also dual Grade 3-placed, finishing second in last year’s Transylvania at Keeneland and the Hill Prince at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

McGaughey said a long-term goal is the Listed $150,000 Bernard Baruch, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older horses, on August 29 at Saratoga Race Course. The Spa offers the Grade 1, $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave on August 2, which is a one-mile “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar. 

“I think my one main objective, that is later on, is the Bernard Baruch,” McGaughey said. “It is at the end of the meet. They have changed the date multiple times. [A next spot] is a good question, it is not going to be that easy. The Fourstardave, we will nominate and see how it comes up, might be a little quick coming off a layoff, but a lot of times that doesn’t really bother him.” 

McGaughey has won the Bernard Baruch with My Big Boy [1988], Furiously [1993], Hall of Famer Lure [1994] and Ironicus [2015]. 

Striker Has Dial on track for G2 Honorable Miss

Chief Horse Futures’ Striker Has Dial is on track for a targeted start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, on July 20 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Horacio De Paz, the 4-year-old Dialed In bay was a hard-fought second in the six-furlong Listed Skipat on Preakness Day May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind Zeitlos, who exited to run third in Saturday’s Grade 2 Chicago at Churchill Downs. 

“We are pointing her to the Honorable Miss. I think the six furlongs will be a good spot for her,” said De Paz. “We gave her some time off after Pimlico and now she is back and breezing. We’ll have to see how competitive she is there.” 

De Paz believes the spacing between races might work to Striker Has Dial’s benefit. She has made three starts already this year, winning a pair of six-furlong optional claimers in January and March at Aqueduct Racetrack, the former returning a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. 

“She ran all winter. Since last year, even. She broke her maiden last May and has been going steady since,” De Paz said. “Her last race was a brave effort on her part, coming off two of her top numbers, too, so she was maybe going to regress a little bit. Honestly, that was still a very good run.” 

Striker Has Dial was also second in the restricted Wilton in July at the Spa, among her 11-3-5-1 record with $251,172 in earnings. 

De Paz outlined some potential plans for other Spa stakes horses in the barn, including Sounds Like a Plan, who is possible for the state-bred $150,000 Rick Violette on July 17; as well as Awesome Czech and Can’t Fool Me, who will utilize an allowance race to prep for a start in the state-bred $150,000 Yaddo on August 22.

May Day Ready aims for G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational

KatieRich Stables’ May Day Ready eyes the Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomore fillies, on Saturday July 5 during the July 4 Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Joe Lee, the Tapit bay has already earned over $1 million through a 6-3-1-1 record. As a 2-year-old, she graduated on debut at the Spa, then won the Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies at its namesake oval, the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland, before finishing second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Del Mar. 

To cap her past campaign, May Day Ready finished off-the-board overseas in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan. She returned from the layoff in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 7 at Saratoga, where she finished behind two Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained rivals, including the victorious multiple graded stakes-winner Nitrogen, in the field scratched down to three.

“I’m really happy with how she’s doing. Off the turf wasn’t ideal, but the owners wanted to take a shot and get a race in her,” said Lee. “If we already had a race in her, we could’ve scratched, but the goal was the Belmont Oaks, and we wanted to have something going into it, opposed to straight off about seven months then.” 

May Day Ready is already established as a classy filly and Lee believes she can continue to improve.

“She’s definitely filled out. She is not a big, imposing type of horse, but she never was,” Lee said. “She is doing everything right, is really sound, great attitude, and she eats well– all indications that she’ll hopefully improve from age two to three. That is always a question mark with fillies, but with her attitude, I’m hoping she does.” 

May Day Ready, bred in Kentucky by White Birch Farm out of the Group 3-winning More Than Ready mare Nemoralia, was a $325,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. 

Lee added that KatieRich Stables, Christopher Connors and Lawrence Appel’s New York-homebred Works for Me may wait for the Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack on July 4 at Saratoga rather than contest Saturday’s state-bred $125,000 Ashley T. Cole at Belmont at the Big A, which takes entries Sunday. 

“We’re leaning towards the Harvey Pack just to give him a little more time in between races, the timing just seems better to wait that extra week,” Lee said Saturday. 

The 4-year-old Daddy Long Legs chestnut earned a game open optional claiming victory last out sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at the Spa – the course and distance of the Harvey Pack.