Mo Forza will have home-field edge in Breeders' Cup Mile
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bring on the world.
That was trainer Peter Miller’s slightly defiant message on Sunday, a day after Mo Forza won the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita in his final start prior to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
Mo Forza won his seventh Grade 1 or Grade 2 race in his last eight starts in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile, closing from last of five to catch stretch leader Smooth Like Strait in the final sixteenth. The margin was a half-length, slightly wider than the head difference between those two when they were first and second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 21 in Mo Forza’s first start of the year.
Smooth Like Strait is bound for the BC Mile, courtesy of a fees-paid berth for winning the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in May. Hit the Road, the winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile in March, and the third-place finisher in the Del Mar Mile and City of Hope Mile, is yet another talented California-based runner for the BC Mile.
The 5-year-old Mo Forza leads the group and will face the toughest test of his career in the BC Mile. Confidence aside, Miller knows the challenge awaiting Mo Forza, and takes some comfort in knowing that other domestic runners and the international contenders will be racing in California.
“We’ll see where we are,” Miller said. “I’m glad we do have a home-field advantage. The Euros have to travel a long way. There are the tight turns, short stretch, and firm turf. I think it helps even the playing field.”
Mo Forza trailed Smooth Like Strait by 3 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining in the City of Hope Mile, and closed with a determined rally.
“I thought we were beat,” Miller said. “All of a sudden he found another gear.”
Sunday, Miller said Mo Forza recovered quickly.
“He ate up and was bouncing around the barn,” Miller said. “So far, so good.”
Smooth Like Strait, trained by Michael McCarthy, has had six starts this year. The Shoemaker Mile is his lone win. Smooth Like Strait has been second or third in his other starts, losing by as little as a head but no more than a half-length, all in Grade 1 and Grade 2 races.
Smooth Like Strait set the pace in the City of Hope Mile, was passed briefly by Red Storm Risen on the backstretch, and took command of the race in early stretch only to be caught by Mo Forza.
“It was a fantastic effort,” McCarthy said. “He’s probably the most consistent turf horse in the country. The middle part of the race got muddled.”
Hit the Road finished a head behind Smooth Like Strait, closing with interest after a bumpy trip in which he raced in traffic on the first turn, and was stuck behind the longshot Order and Law on the final turn.
“Imagine how he would have run if hadn’t been stopped three times,” trainer Dan Blacker said on Sunday. “He was really ready to fire and I wanted him to prove that he’s as good as the other two.
“It was a pretty awesome performance. He came out of it in good shape. We’ve got a good chance in the Breeders’ Cup.”