Mo Forza follows up maiden score with a victory in the Twilight Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. - One of the least experienced 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita performed like a veteran.

Mo Forza, who won a maiden race at a mile on Sept. 29 in his sixth start, won his stakes debut in the $202,106 Twilight Derby on the undercard of the big Breeders’ Cup program.

Ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario, Mo Forza stalked pacesetter Kingly to early stretch and pulled clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths over 7-1 Succeedandsurpass.

Mo Forza ($39.60) ran 1 1/8 miles over firm turf in 1:46.18. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

The outcome was what trainer Peter Miller hoped to see, but the winning scenario was not quite what he expected.

“I thought the race had two or three speed horses and there was one,” Miller said. “He was where we hoped to be.

“I knew he was sitting on a big one. You don’t expect him to run like that.”

Kingly, the winner of the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar in August, set the pace, but faded through the stretch to finish fifth.

Succeedandsurpass finished a neck in front of 3-1 favorite Neptune’s Storm, who won the Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park in October.

Henley’s Joy finished fourth, followed by Kingly, Temple, Originaire, Jais’s Solitude, Hackberry, Ocean Fury, and Nolde.

Nolde, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 1, fought with jockey Victor Espinoza in the opening quarter-mile and was never comfortable, Espinoza said. Espinoza said Nolde was distracted by the urging of a rival jockey early in the race.

“When the other rider started smooching, he wanted to go,” Espinoza said. “I had to challenge him then. After that, it was pretty much over. He was against me. It didn’t work out the way we wanted.”

Mo Forza had run in five maiden races and one allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option before the Twilight Derby. Succeedandsurpass was making his fifth career start in the Twilight Derby.

Mo Forza, an Uncle Mo colt owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, has won 2 of 7 starts and earned $199,460. He was second in three of his first five starts before the breakthrough win on Sept. 29.

Miller credited Mo Forza’s recent success to maturity. He said the colt will be pointed for the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 30.