Hoosier Philly regains winning form in Monomoy Girl
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Hoosier Philly made her long-awaited return to the winner’s circle on Saturday at Ellis Park, cruising on the lead for a 3 1/2-length victory in the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Hoosier Philly ($4.50), with regular rider Edgar Morales in the irons, broke running and had already opened up a 1 1/2-length lead through a tepid opening quarter-mile of 25.23 seconds. She extended her lead through an easy half in 48.86 seconds, and was never seriously threatened from there, with plenty in the tank to draw away in the stretch. She finished the mile on the fast main track in 1:36.39.
“She got away with a very easy opening quarter-mile, but quickened up well in the lane when Edgar asked her,” trainer Tom Amoss said.
Favored Wet Paint, making her first start since finishing fourth as the favorite in Kentucky Oaks, rallied from last in the field of five to be a clear second. After that graded stakes winner, it was 5 1/4 lengths back to Flamand, the longest shot in the field. Champagne Calling and Sabra Tuff rounded out the order of finish.
Hoosier, Philly, an Into Mischief filly running for Gold Standard Racing Stable, was considered one of the top 2-year-old fillies of 2022, winning all three starts, including the Rags to Riches and Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs. But she opened this season finishing third in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra and fourth in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, and did not make the field for the Kentucky Oaks. She showed renewed form last time out when finishing second in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico, and now is a winner this season.
One race later on the card, Vivar forged his way to a slight advantage in upper stretch and then gamely held sway over Therapist by a head to win the $175,000 Chorleywood Overnight Stakes for older horses on the turf.
It was a blanket finish, as behind Therapist it was a neck to Hidden Stash, with Tiz the Bomb another half-length back in fourth, a head over Media Blitz. After that fifth-place finisher, it was 2 3/4 lengths to favored Foreign Relations, who never seriously threatened in the field of eight.
This was the first career stakes win for Vivar ($18.20), a Shortleaf Stable homebred Cairo Prince colt trained by Robbie Medina.
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