Classic Mo Town takes Eclipse, Ms. Tart surprises in Royal North
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Longshot Classic Mo Town ran down favored Get Smokin in the stretch and then held off a charging Webslinger to win the Grade 2 Eclipse on Saturday at Woodbine.
The classy millionaire Get Smokin was pressed by Possiblemente through honest fractions in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event.
Classic Mo Town began to mount an eye-catching rally at the three-eighths pole and then collared Get Smokin at the eighth pole en route to a three-quarter-length win, in a time of 1:42.97 seconds.
Get Smokin finished 2 1/4 lengths behind his Mark Casse-trained stablemate Webslinger in third. Dancin in Da’nile checked in fourth and was followed by Stanley House, Possiblemente, Cool Kiss and second choice Dataman.
Classic Mo Town ($20.10) was claimed for $25,000 at Gulfstream early in 2024 by owner Bruno Schickendanz and trainer Marty Drexler, who won the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier earlier on the card with Old Chestnut. Eswan Flores rode both geldings.
“(Classic Mo Town) is such a nice horse,” Flores said. “He’s so easy to get along (with). My only worry was that I could get stuck inside. Marty had him so ready today. He was just press-button.”
A son of Mo Town, Classic Mo Town banked $105,000 of the $177,450 purse in his first stakes victory.
The Presque Isle-based bomb Ms. Tart rallied widest from the back of the pack to win the first turf stakes at the meet, the Grade 3, $154,300 Royal North for fillies and mares.
Ms. Tart ($143.30) covered the 6 1/2 furlongs over a good main course in 1:15.56 in a half-length score over 12-1 shot Ready to Jam, who edged out 39-1 outsider Ticker Tape Home for third.
Favorites Toupie (5-2) and Earhart (4-5) finished sixth and a trailing 10th, respectively, after dueling for the lead through the turn.
A daughter of Maximus Mischief trained by Kevin Rice, Ms. Tart was claimed for $35,000 at Gulfstream in January by owner Nathan McCauley, who pocketed first money of $90.000.
“It’s my first graded stakes win,” Rice said. “It was exciting watching because going to the gate, we were 70-1. It was a full field, trying the turf here. It’s just amazing. I hauled her up here myself today. She’s been a really classy filly. I didn’t have to do anything special with her — just keep her happy and bring her over her.”
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