Molleck gets job done in Grays Lake
Molleck had to work harder this time, but he won his second straight race at Prairie Meadows, beating Han Sense by a half-length on Saturday in the $65,000 Grays Lake Stakes for Iowa-bred 3-year-olds.
Molleck, ridden by Kevin Roman for the Prairie Gold Diggers and trainer Gene Jacquot, had swooped wide to the lead past the quarter pole en route to a last-start blowout Iowa-bred allowance victory. Saturday, he moved at the same point in the Grays Lake, but had to work harder to get past stubborn King Deuce before holding clear Han Sense through the final furlong.
Han Sense did himself no favors breaking slowly from post 1, losing all early position while racing last down the backstretch. Molleck was four wide around the turn but Han Sense lost even more ground, and was not able to bridge a surmountable gap through the final three-sixteenths mile while beating King Deuce to the line by 2 1/4 lengths.
Molleck was bet down to narrow favoritism over Han Sense and paid $5.60 to win while running six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.41. There was a stewards’ inquiry into trouble at the top of the stretch, but it was pacesetting Basic Chance, stopping badly on the way to a last-place finish, who drifted out and caused Dreamin the Dream and Wonderful Dancer to be checked.
Molleck, a son of Henny Hughes and the Tenpins mare Noon at Night, was bred by James Leech, and now has a record of 5-3-0-0.