More Than Good lights up tote board in Karl Boyes Memorial

More Than Good was more than prepared for his stakes debut on short rest Monday night, leading home a longshot parade in the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.

More Than Good ($33.60) was claimed by Danielle Agnello and trainer Jeffrey Skerrett for $15,000 on April 1 at Mahoning Valley; he had finished fourth that day. Three weeks later, the gelding won an allowance race at Mahoning Valley. He finished a close third in his Presque Isle debut on June 10, beaten just a neck by stakes veteran Jaguar Poz in an optional-claiming event, and prompting his connections to wheel him back in the Boyes Memorial just a week later.

Grade 3 winner Wellabled, sent off as the favorite in the Boyes Memorial, rushed out to lead by a length and a half through the opening quarter in 22.25 seconds. Oldies But Goodies sat second, on near-even terms with More Than Good and jockey Fernando Salazar Becerra. The field began to close in on Wellabled around the turn. Wellabled kept his head in front into the lane, but More Than Good rushed up to be second, with Shekky Shebaz a threat on his hip.

Wellabled drifted out at the eighth pole as he began to tire badly late, with More Than Good, still full of run, assuming the lead. The gelding continued to draw off to win by 2 1/4 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:03.17 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather track.

Less Than Perfect, the longest shot on the board, closed from sixth in the field of seven, and from widest of all, to be second by 1 3/4 lengths. Caloric, who was forced to check in the lane as Wellabled tired, was up to be third by a head over Shekky Shebaz. Then came Oldies But Goodies, Wellabled, and second choice Lanier, also a graded stakes winner.

With the favorites finishing off the board, More Than Good returned $19.60 to place and $18.20 to show. Less Than Perfect returned $37.60 and $29, while Caloric paid $21.60 to show. The $2 exacta returned $608.80, while the trifecta paid $832.65.