Mo Hawk faces tougher test in Sunny Slope Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Expectations have been high for Mo Hawk for months. He trained strongly here at Santa Anita prior to heading to Del Mar, where it looked like he might be one of the major 2-year-olds to watch this past summer. His debut was delayed until last month at Los Alamitos, though, but he still delivered, winning by three lengths against maidens.

“I thought he’d win by more,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert.

The waters get deeper on Sunday. Mo Hawk will face winners for the first time when he makes his stakes debut in the $70,000 Sunny Slope Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds that drew just five runners, three of whom are trained by Doug O’Neill.

Mo Hawk, a son of Uncle Mo, got a soft Beyer Speed Figure of 64 for his win. Better will be needed Sunday, and he should improve, what with an extra furlong with which to work after going 5 1/2 furlongs first time out.

“He wants to go further,” Baffert said.

The Sunny Slope is a means to an end. After Mo Hawk won his debut, Baffert said his options were to wheel back in the Grade 1 American Pharoah going 1 1/16 miles, or ship out of town. Neither scenario appealed.

“He’ll have two sprints, then he’ll be ready to go two turns,” said Baffert, who will employ Flavien Prat on Sunday. Joe Talamo rode Mo Hawk first time out.

O’Neill counters with Fore Left, Raging Whiskey, and Strongconstitution.

Fore Left cuts back to a sprint after finishing seventh of nine in the American Pharoah. He won his first two starts, including the Tremont at Belmont Park in June. He needs to get back to that form, as his last two starts have been poor.

Raging Whiskey has been busy; this will be his eighth start. He goes from turf to dirt for this race. The last time he did that, in the Capote at Los Alamitos on Sept. 21, he got the fastest Beyer figure of his career, a 77, when romping by eight lengths.

Strongconstitution, like Mo Hawk, won his lone start, but his was in a turf sprint at Del Mar. Based on his pedigree – by Constitution out of a Cherokee Run mare – dirt should be perfectly fine. He looks like the one to catch.

Zimba Warrior, trained by Keith Desormeaux, completes the field. After losing a pair of races at Del Mar, he got some class relief last time out when defeating maidens at Fresno while utilizing different tactics. After being sent in his first two starts, he sat and finished last time, and with his outside draw on Sunday, that would seem the strategy to utilize again.

The Sunny Slope goes as race 5 on an eight-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.