Aqueduct: Stopchargingmaria heads Pletcher 1-2 in Demoiselle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – What’s in a name? Apparently, not much when it comes to Stopchargingmaria.

Stopchargingmaria, the 4-5 favorite, never stopped charging in the stretch to run down the pacesetting Penwith and Got Lucky to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Got Lucky, a Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate of Stopchargingmaria who rallied along the rail to take a short lead in the stretch, got second by a head over Penwith. Lexi Morgan – a third Pletcher trainee – was fourth, followed by America and Mlle. Minuit.

The win was the third in five starts for Stopchargingmaria, who won the Grade 3 Tempted by 10 3/4 lengths on Nov. 3. This was the third straight win in the Demoiselle and fifth overall – all since 2001 – for Pletcher.

It also was his third win on Saturday’s card with a 2-year-old, and that was before the Remsen was to be run.

Stopchargingmaria was sent off at 4-5 based on her victory in the Tempted going a one-turn mile over this track. This was the first time Stopchargingmaria was attempting two turns and 1 1/8 miles.

Under Javier Castellano, Stopchargingmaria stalked Penwith, who got away with pedestrian fractions of 25.38 seconds for the quarter, 50.65 for the half-mile, and 1:15.45 for six furlongs. In upper stretch, it appeared as though Penwith was getting away from Stopchargingmaria and that she would have to fend off Got Lucky, who was rallying along the rail under Mike Smith.

But Stopchargingmaria never stopped coming and was able to collar those two leaders a few strides from the wire to get the victory. Stopchargingmaria, a daughter of Tale of the Cat named by owner Mike Repole for his wife’s propensity to use her credit cards, covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.62 and returned $3.90 to win.

“I liked the way she did it today, my question was going to be the two turns, and she did it so well,” Castellano said. “She settled beautiful today and she gave me the last kick. The pace was so comfortable, and when I asked her, she took off. I had it all the way in the race.”

Pletcher said he was pretty confident Stopchargingmaria would be able to get the distance.

“The thing I thought she had going for her was a good foundation and the fact she’s got a really good mind,” Pletcher said. “She’s very rateable, she’s kind, she’s not the kind you got to worry about getting too headstrong. But you know it’s a mile and an eighth, 2-year-old fillies, it’s a long way.”

Pletcher said Stopchargingmaria and Got Lucky would most likely head to south Florida this week. He has not yet decided where Lexi Morgan will spend the winter.

* Earlier on the card, Pletcher sent out the debuting 2-year-old filly Dame Dorothy to a half-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden race.

Breaking slowly and then bumped by Full of Sugar to her inside, Dame Dorothy spotted the field several lengths before rallying wide and wearing down the pacesetting Fade to Black to get the win.

Dame Dorothy, a daughter of Bernardini, is owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who spent $390,000 on the filly as a yearling.

Flay said he named the filly for his mother, who watched from home on television.

“She was going nuts, she almost came, but she decided she didn’t want to make the trip,” Flay said. “Now, I’m going to have to carry her all over the country if the horse is good.”

Dame Dorothy covered seven furlongs in 1:24.56. She paid $4.80.