Money’soncharlotte impresses in Hut Hut Stakes

MIAMI – Trainer Kelly Breen said jockey Edgar Prado came to him moments after guiding Money’soncharlotte to a popular 2 3/4-length decision over Moment of Delight in Saturday’s $75,000 Hut Hut Stakes and told him he thought the 2-year-old filly might actually be better on grass than the dirt.

“It scared me a little bit when Edgar said that because I thought she was pretty good on the dirt,” said Breen, who trains the daughter of Mizzen Mast for his principal owners, Lori and George Hall.

Money’soncharlotte led throughout under Prado to win for the second time in three career starts. She also was in front much of the way when capturing her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths over a wet track at Belmont Park five weeks earlier.

Prado was able to slow the pace to a reasonable 24.29 seconds and 48.80 for the opening half of the one-mile Hut Hut, and when he asked Money’soncharlotte for her run turning for home, she responded willingly to easily pull away from Moment of Delight. The latter chased the winner throughout but ultimately proved no match while holding off her nemesis, Holywell, to finish second by nearly a length.

Holywell, who won two of the three legs of the Florida Sire Stakes this season at Gulfstream Park, raced a bit wide but had no real excuse.

Money’soncharlotte completed the distance in 1:41.60 and paid $3.80.

“She’s just continued to improve leaps and bounds since her first race, and I think we have a nice filly here,” said Breen. “I don’t know if it was the cooler weather we’ve had here, but she’s really been a handful the last few days. She does have the pedigree for grass, but we’ll just wait and see what we have over at Gulfstream before deciding on where to run her next.”