Mom's On Strike fires fresh to win Mint Julep by a neck

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Less than 50 yards into the race, and already the complexion was far different from what most anyone expected Saturday in the 43rd running of the Grade 3, $125,000 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs.

Limari, dispatched at 9-10 odds as the obvious on-paper front-runner in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, had trouble leaving the gate, forcing jockey Florent Geroux to dramatically alter tactics.

That unexpected turn of events allowed Mom’s On Strike, making her first start in more than seven months, to take full advantage of a close-up, ground-saving trip, as the 6-year-old Florida-bred mare put forth a big effort under Adam Beschizza while holding off a couple of late runs in deep stretch. Smart Shot, an 18-1 outsider, finished a neck behind the winner while another half-length before the troubled Limari.

Mom’s On Strike, trained by Joe Sharp for owners Carl Moore and Brad Grady, paid $7 as the second choice in a field of eight fillies and mares. She was coming off an eighth-place in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf here last November.

“She’s come back a better, stronger, more straightforward mare,” said Sharp. “We couldn’t have asked for a better comeback race.”

Mom’s On Strike finished in 1:47.63 over a turf course rated good when notching the second graded victory of her 20-race career, following the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland in April 2018.

Limari, who came into the race with a four-race win streak, was simply unlucky, said Geroux.

“She ran a giant race but just missed the break,” he said. “Being that far back isn’t really her best game.”

After the top three, the order was Vagabond Princess, Coco Channel, Promise of Spring, Phantom Opening, and She’s Pretty Lucky. Early scratches were Smart Emma and Stave.

The $2 exacta (3-6) paid $73, the $1 trifecta (3-6-7) returned $143.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-6-7-5) was worth $65.74.