Joe outduels Ready to Purrform in stretch to win James W. Murphy Stakes
BALTIMORE – He might be just plain Joe on paper, but he's a lot more than average when the running gets started. The Maryland-bred colt rewarded his connections for savvy race selection with a gutsy neck win over favored Ready to Purrform in the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf Saturday at Pimlico.
Joe had made just one prior start on turf, finishing fifth – but that was in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint and in his debut last October at Laurel, giving him a mulligan on both counts. Since then, the colt had won 4 of 5 outings on dirt, at distances from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. That route win came in the Federico Tesio on April 16 at Laurel, a race that has traditionally served as a local prep into the Preakness. But owner-breeder Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group and trainer Michael Trombetta elected to bypass both the Preakness and the Sir Barton going two turns on dirt for this turf mile.
“We had a plan,” Trombetta said. “We wanted to cherry pick our spots and try to let this horse develop into what we hope is a good horse.”
Joe is a son of Declaration of War, a multiple Group 1 winner on turf from the versatile War Front sireline, which certainly helps. He now has stakes victories on both surfaces.
“The switch over to turf, Mike had been pushing for it, and I said, 'Mike, this horse will either make you a genius or a dummy,’ ” Grant said. “Mike said he is a turf horse, and he was right. He ran his first race on turf, but that was too short, and it was the only time he was off the board.”
Joe, sent away as the second choice under Victor Carrasco, broke from the outside post and then tucked in to sit in sixth early, more than nine lengths back of Uncaptured Spirit as that foe narrowly led Epic Luck through an opening half of 45.85 seconds on a firm turf course on a hot and humid day. Carrasco was not concerned or inclined to rush his mount.
"It takes him a little bit of time to get going," said Carrasco, who has ridden the colt in all seven of his starts.
As the field cut the corner, Uncaptured Spirit attempted to dig in but was set upon as the field bunched up near the quarter pole. Ready to Purrform, who had won 2 of 3 starts last year as a juvenile but was making his first start of this season, made a run three wide and poked his head in front. But Joe had slipped through a seam to find himself inside of the favorite and quickly came roaring up. The two pulled away from the rest of the field as they dueled through the final sixteenth, with Joe inching ahead at the wire.
The final time for the mile was 1:35.26. Joe returned $5.80.
After Joe and Ready to Purrform, it was another 2 1/4 lengths to an aptly-named Maryland-bred gelding, Crabs N Beer. He was 4 1/4 lengths clear of the fading Uncaptured Spirit in fourth, and they were followed, in order, by Determined Kingdom, Shake Em Loose, Local Motive, and Epic Luck. Wow Whata Summer, Riot House, and World of Fools were scratched Saturday morning.
Joe, who has options moving forward, is named for President Joe Biden, who Grant knows personally.
“There is a horse named VP Joe from 10 years ago or so who did not have nearly the success that Joe has had,” Grant said. “I am glad both of them have risen to a new level. I know the President knows about the horse. We will keep sending him the win photos. He just has to keep running the country.”