Mena makes it a two-stakes sweep with Pucker Up
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Saturday was a day that jockey Miguel Mena won’t soon forget. Named in just two races at Arlington Park, both longshots in stakes, Mena flew in from his Kentucky base to fully maximize his opportunity and ended up with a 12-1 victory aboard Fault in the Grade 3, $100 Pucker Up Stakes, the 12th and final race on Arlington Million Day.
Reserved a few lengths off a pace contested by several longshots while Mena saved ground, Fault rallied to prevail by a half-length over Journey Home, completing the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Pucker Up in 1:50.08 over a firm turf.
Claimed in May for $50,000 by Michelle Lovell on behalf of Agave Racing Stable, Fault returned $26.40 with her first win in four starts for her new connections. The bay daughter of Blame had finished second in each of her three prior starts.
Earlier on the Million card, Mena won the $75,000 Bruce D. Memorial on 27-1 Harmac.
The $2 exacta (2-4) paid $143.60, the $1 trifecta (2-4-7) returned $346.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-4-7-11) was worth $624.04.
The Pucker Up was the final leg in a host of multi-race wagers, most notably a pick five (races 8-12) that returned a whopping $163,982 for a 50-cent ticket. Only two such winners were sold.
