SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Jeremiah Englehart was watching the replay of the stretch run of the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes from the winner’s circle after the race when he suddenly blurted out, as the field came through midstretch, “I can’t believe he won this race.”
The “he” Englehart was referring to was his undefeated Mo Plex, who did indeed win the Funny Cide from a seemingly hopeless position at midstretch, surging late to register a popular but somewhat improbable nose decision over Soontobeking in the six-furlong stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds on Sunday at Saratoga.
Mo Plex came into the Funny Cide off a wire-to-wire, one-length victory over open company in the Grade 3 Sanford here on July 13. It was the second win in as many starts for the son of Complexity owned by the R and H Stable.
Mo Plex proved to be a handful for his regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. right from the outset, stumbling at the break before bearing out past the middle of the racetrack in the run down the backstretch while in closest attendance of the pacesetting In the Chase. Mo Plex challenged for command while still well off the rail through the furlong grounds, fell a couple of lengths behind the rallying Soontobeking at midstretch, then reasserted himself, surging one last time to get his nose in front on the wire.
Soontobeking, never far back, split rivals with his bid upon settling into the stretch, drew off to a seemingly comfortable advantage inside the sixteenth marker, but could not quite last. The Toner rallied belatedly out in the middle of the track to finish another 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third. Smilensaycheese, the second choice in the wagering behind the winner, lost all chance when hampering his rider trying to bear out badly leaving the backstretch and around the turn.
Mo Plex negotiated the distance over a fast track in 1:11.72 and returned $4.00.
“I was actually shocked he won. At the eighth pole, I thought he was going to run third, second maybe,” Englehart admitted. “He just dug in and wanted to win. “He’s still a little green. Irad said he went wide and lost three to four lengths down the backstretch having to ride him and keep him focused all the way. He didn’t win like an even-money shot, but he got the job done.”
Englehart said he felt Mo Plex could get even better the farther he goes.
“In the Sanford, if you watched him gallop out, he was still going well in front of the field,” Englehart noted. “If I can get him to relax a little bit and carry that over a distance, hopefully he’ll keep getting better. But for now, it’s just nice to get the W. And to win the Funny Cide, it’s pretty cool. He was one of my favorite horses.”
Mo Plex gave Englehart his second victory in the event, having won the race seven years earlier with Aveenu Malcainu.
Englehart said everything would be on the table for Mo Plex’s next start, including the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct on Oct 5.
*** Accelerating remained undefeated and virtually un-tested after pulling away to an easy and very popular 4-length victory over Carmen’s Candy Jar in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes, the filly counterpart to the Funny Cide. The complexion of the race had changed earlier that morning with the scratch of Englehart’s Bellacose, a 10 3/4-length winner of her only previous start who will await Saturday’s Grade 1 Spinaway.
Accelerating made every call a winning one, registering a 4 1/2-length victory in her debut here on July 26, earning a 74 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. The daughter of Mitole is trained by Steve Asmussen for Kaleen Shah Inc.
Accelerating was bumped and bobbled at the start of the six-furlong Seeking the Ante, recovering to set the pace while well reserved by jockey Jose Ortiz, and prompted from the outset by Central to Success. Accelerating readily shook off that rival when roused in early stretch before steadily increasing her advantage while kept under a drive to the end.
Carmen’s Candy Jar, returning to statebred company off a fourth-place finish in the Schuylerville on opening day of the meet, stumbled then banged into the winner after the break, dropped to the rear of the field down the backstretch before swinging wide and rallying mildly to easily best the others. Central to Success finished a tiring third with Trail of Gold bringing up the rear far back.
Accelerating returned a mere $2.80 to win after negotiating the distance over a fast track in 1:11.31 seconds.
“She took a little bobble away from there. He (Ortiz) said she got on her feet after that. I was a little concerned today, I thought she was a lot more anxious in the paddock and post parade then she was the first time. We’ll try to give her a little more time to settle down, but she’s obviously a very nice filly that just happens to be a New York-bred.”
Asmussen said he feels Accelerating will benefit from having two races in her moving forward, but was non-committal regarding her next start, with the Joseph A Gimma for New York-breds on September 22 at Aqueduct among the options.
“Everything will depend on how she acts and comes out of the race,” Asmussen continued. “This was the original goal. We’ll see how she does, but she’s got good ability for open company as well.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.