OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Crazy Mason, winless in six previous stakes tries, took advantage of a lightning-quick early pace and came with a sensational stretch run to overtake Quint’s Brew and win the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Stakes by a neck.
Quint’s Brew, who had made the lead in upper stretch and seemed on his way to a third consecutive stakes victory, had to settle for second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of Dilger. Surveillance, Donegal Momentum, Maximus Meridius and Full Moon Madness completed the order of finish.
Crazy Mason won for the third consecutive time rallying from last. On Saturday, he benefitted from Full Moon Madness and Maximus Meridius throwing it down through a half-mile in 44.85 seconds. Manny Franco, riding Crazy Mason for the first time, said he loved the way the race was developing in front of him; he was more than 10 lengths off the pace while saving ground along the rail.
“I was happy because I knew they were cooking in front of me, I had pace in front of me,” Franco said. “I just wanted him to give me the run that he always does, he did.”
At this time last year, Crazy Mason was trying to get on the Triple Crown trail. He was well beaten in the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby, a pair of two-turn races at Tampa Bay Downs. After running third in the Long Branch Stakes in May at Monmouth, Crazy Mason was turned out for the year by trainer Gregg Sacco.
Crazy Mason’s focus as a 4-year-old has been on one-turn races and he’s developed into quite the come-from-behind sprinter.
“We were most worried if he was good enough, he was 0-for-6 in stakes prior to today,” said Will Sacco, assistant to his father. “He was facing a good quality field, the toughest group probably other than the Tampa Bay Derby. It was a class test today, he keeps stepping up. Manny rode an unbelievable race first time on him.”
Crazy Mason, a son of Coal Front owned by Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, covered seven furlongs in 1:21.95 (98 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $12.60 as the fourth choice.
Quint’s Brew, the 2-1 favorite coming off two stakes victories in Maryland, ran well in defeat.
“That was a tough one, I thought we were going to get the job done, but he still ran a very good race,” trainer Ned Allard said. “That horse just caught him. He was stepping up in class a little bit and he almost handled it.”
Will Sacco said Crazy Mason would likely be pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 True North at Saratoga on June 7.
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