Another Mystery ($31) notches upset in Carey Memorial Handicap

Since little remains of the Illinois Thoroughbred racing industry, the Illinois breeding program also has shrunk to a fraction of its former size. But the most recognizable silks in Illinois racing over the last 20 years, those of Team Block, steamed across the finish line first when Another Mystery upset the $150,000 Carey Memorial Handicap on Sunday at Hawthorne Race Course.

Under Orlando Mojica, Another Mystery rallied resolutely up the fence and probably turned in the best performance of his career in a turf race less than 1 1/4 miles, winning this one-mile contest by 1 1/4 lengths.

Another Mystery ran down the stubborn pacesetter, Katie M’lady, as Illinois-breds finished one-two in an open-company race. Trainer Chris Block scored a Sunday stakes double, with Another Mystery’s victory following Oeuvre’s romp in the Jean Elizabeth Handicap.

Michele Boyce, another decades-long fixture in Chicago racing, trains Katie M’lady for Cherrywood Racing Stables and Oak Rock Racing. Boyce also trained Katie M’lady’s dam, Katie the Lady, and her second dam, Kate the Great.

The winner also has roots running deep into his connections’ history. By Temple City, Another Mystery is out of the Lord at War mare Ioya Two, a Grade 3 winner bred and campaigned by Team Block and trained by Chris Block. Ioya Two is out of the Naskra mare Ioya, purchased as a 4-year-old by the Blocks and trained by Chris Block to the end of her career.

Ioya Two produced five stakes winners, three of them graded-stakes winners, a remarkable record for a mare foaling Illinois-breds. Another Mystery is one of the graded winners, having captured the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup over 1 1/2 miles, but for lack of long-distance turf opportunities, the gelding, an 8-year-old, has found a new niche as a grass miler. The Carey marked his fourth straight win this year, all in races at one mile or 1 1/16 miles, though Another Mystery beat a stronger field Sunday than he’s recently faced.

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Katie M’lady, a 6-year-old mare, set sail for the lead under Julio Felix, but took pressure from Tut’s Revenge, going her opening half-mile over a yielding course in 47.66, a strong tempo considering the wet conditions. At the quarter pole, Katie M’lady shrugged off her pace rival and opened daylight, looking like the winner at the furlong grounds before Another Mystery burst through along the fence.

Mojica saved ground most of the Carey, Another Mystery shuffled back to last of 10 with about six furlongs left to race. Mojica at the half-mile pole shifted out one path to come around stalling Woodcock Flight, winding up on the rail again after turning for home, his mount gathering momentum. With everyone else in the race laboring, including Katie M’lady, Another Mystery lengthened stride in the final 150 yards and tagged the pacesetter a few strides before the wire.

Behind the Illinois-breds a New Jersey-bred, He’spuregold, stayed on solidly for third.

Another Mystery paid $31 to win, which is remarkable considering Katie M’lady, a less-accomplished horse than the winner, went off the 3-1 favorite. That Katie M’lady went favored also came as a surprise, since she went into the starting gate at a more reasonable 9-1 and was 8-1 before the last batch of win money flooded the pools.

Another Mystery clocked 1:37.28 for the mile, getting his final furlong in about 12 seconds while the rest of the Carey field struggled to the finish. The gelding, third generation in the Block operation, was bred to be a winner.

***Oeuvre, favored at 1-10, cruised to a six-length win over four Illinois-bred rivals in the $73,500 Jean Elizabeth Handicap. Oeuvre gave between 12 and 14 pounds to her rivals, yet jockey Jareth Loveberry never went to more than a hand ride as Oeuvre went her final 2 1/2 furlongs in a robust 29.63, clocking 1:15.09 for 6 1/2 furlongs over a fast main track. Block trains Oeuvre for her breeder, Richard Perkins, and Oeuvre, by Shackleford, won for the 17th time in 31 starts.

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