SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After winning the Sanford and skipping the Saratoga Special earlier in the meet, it seemed only logical that Mo Plex would likely come back on closing day in the Grade 1 Hopeful. But to the surprise of many, and likely dismay of his nine rivals, Mo Plex will return instead to statebred company Sunday at Saratoga in the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes.
Mo Plex is trained by Jeremiah Englehart, who also holds a strong hand in the afternoon’s opening event, the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes, filly counterpart to the Funny Cide. He’ll send out likely favorite Bellacose against just four rivals, including another very impressive debut winner, Accelerating, from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
While the competition obviously won’t be as formidable as the group he’d have faced had Englehart opted to wait for the Hopeful next weekend, the field for the Funny Cide came up a good one and includes five other last-out maiden winners, topped by the Mike Maker-trained pair of Under Who’s Radar and Smilensaycheese, as well as Soontobeking, who also returns with New York-breds off a fifth-place finish behind Mo Plex in the Sanford.
Mo Plex beat a modest field by 10 lengths launching his career late this spring at Aqueduct before returning to defeat open company in the Grade 3 Sanford, leading at every call before holding safe a late surge from the more experienced stakes winner Studlydoright by a length. His cause was aided that day when the speedy and likely odds-on favorite Mentee was scratched the morning of the race. Englehart acknowledged after the race that if all went well, he would likely bring Mo Plex back in the Hopeful, before subsequently having a late change of heart.
“I thought he did a lot of work in his last start and that this race would be a little lighter matching him back against New York-breds,” Englehart explained. “He was drawn outside in his first two starts and he’s out there again this time as well. I really like that, and I don’t think he needs to be on the lead. I’ll let Irad [Ortiz Jr.] work that out.”
Under Who’s Radar appears to be the stronger of the Maker duo coming off a gate-to-wire, 3 1/2-length victory in his debut here July 19 for which he received an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, highest of any member of the Funny Cide lineup. On Friday, Maker said he was leaning toward scratching the son of Violence to await a turf sprint, against open company, at the upcoming Kentucky Downs meeting.
“Whether he runs here or not will be a decision I’ll make the morning of the race, although he and Smilensaycheese have the same ownership group and I’d like to keep them apart if I can,” Maker conceded. “I’ve been very high on [Under Who’s Radar] right from the start, and he’s done very well since his debut.”
Smilensaycheese also was an easy winner, by 4 1/2 lengths, at first asking here over a sloppy track Aug. 3 while showing off plenty of speed from the outset.
“I was quietly confident in him the first time because he had been working along with Under Who’s Radar, who had already won,” Maker said. “He’s doing great, and I think he’ll be even better once he figures it out.”
Seeking the Ante
Bellacose and Accelerating will face just three others in the six-furlong Seeking the Ante. The competition includes last-out maiden winners Trail of Gold and Central to Success, along with Carmen’s Candy Jar, exiting a fourth-place finish in the Schuylerville,
Bellacose duplicated Mo Plex’s performance, winning her debut by nearly 11 lengths in similar front-running fashion here July 17, posting a 71 Beyer for the effort while being geared down at the end.
“She’s done extremely well since her first start,” Englehart said. “The rail draw is obviously not ideal, but it is only a five-horse field, and I don’t think it’s like she has to go. We have schooled her behind other horses in the morning, although it might at least make us leave for good position.”
Accelerating received the best Beyer of the group, a 74, for her wire-to-wire, 4 1/2-length triumph against statebred maidens going six furlongs July 26. She will start from post 4.
“I’m very excited about her,” Asmussen said. “She’s never missed a beat since she came to the barn. I loved her first race, it was a very strong performance. She’s had a very nice schedule since, and I’m very excited about running her in a stakes. She drew perfectly. If they asked you where you’d want to be in a five-horse field I’d have chosen that spot. If someone is in front of her early, they’re going fast because she’s pretty quick.”
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