Mo Strike takes major step forward with Sanford Stakes triumph
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Predicting how a 2-year-old might progress from his or her first to second career starts can prove a challenge for horsemen and horseplayers alike. And it was a key question to answer when assessing Saturday’s $175,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.
Those who predicted Mo Strike would make the biggest leap forward off his maiden win were rewarded when the son of Uncle Mo drew well clear in the final sixteenth of a mile to register an impressive 3 1/2-length decision over Great Navigator in the Grade 3 Sanford. The Sanford was the first of three graded stakes that will be decided here this summer, culminating with the Grade 1 Hopeful on closing day (September 5).
Mo Strike was a game winner of his only previous start, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight dash at Churchill Downs for which he received a 70 Beyer Speed Figure. Far off the standard set by Forte, the 7-5 favorite in the Sanford, and by second choice Andiamo a Firenze in their career bows.
But Mo Strike obviously proved he was ready to take the biggest leap forward in the six-furlong Sanford. With regular rider Florent Geroux aboard, Mo Strike broke alertly to force the early pace set by Curly Jack. The leaders were joined from out near the center of the track by Andiamo a Firenze, who stuck his head in front upon settling into the stretch. But Mo Strike proved up to the task, readily disposing of the challenge before drawing off under vigorous urging to the wire.
Great Navigator, who also earned a 70 Beyer winning his only previous start by nearly six lengths six weeks earlier at Monmouth Park, was another to show improvement at second asking. Well placed while saving ground into the stretch, Great Navigator angled out from behind the leaders nearing midstretch, then continued on willingly in the middle of the course to best the tiring Andiamo a Firenze by a neck to be second-best. Forte rallied mildly to finish fourth while never a serious factor.
Mo Strike is trained by Brad Cox for owner Nasser Bin Omairah. He completed the distance over a fast but bit of a dull-ish strip in 1:11.35 and paid $18.40. Mo Strike was given an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He ran against a large group at Churchill and had to fight off some challenges in his first start, so he showed he could handle himself in a big field and he galloped out really well that day, so I thought he’d stretch out a bit,” Cox said. “I liked the way he broke and put himself right there and I thought if he was there and doing it, he’d have something to finish up with. He definitely fought off a good horse (Andiamo a Firenze) at the eighth pole, a horse who had posted a big figure in his first start, and when Florent really asked him he was able to get away a bit. It was a big run.”
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Cox said both the Saratoga Special and the Hopeful would be on the table later in the meet for Mo Strike, although he acknowledged running in both “would be asking a lot of him” while indicating the Hopeful might be the more logical of the two options.
Geroux said he was excited about Mo Strike off his maiden win.
“I wanted to give him a good education in his first race,” Geroux said. “I know the (winning) margin wasn’t very much, but I thought it was a very good field of 2-year-olds that day and I was impressed by the way he did it. When that other horse came to me down the lane today, my horse was able to give me another gear and fight all the way to the wire. I thought the last eighth of a mile, the race was pretty much over.”