Morticia back on favorite course for Giant's Causeway
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Morticia had a front-row seat to the drama in last year’s Giant’s Causeway Stakes at Keeneland, finishing 2 1/2 lengths back in third as Triple Chelsea sprang an $18.60 upset over Lady Aurelia. Morticia will look to get herself back in the winner’s circle as she gets back on her favorite course for Saturday’s renewal of the $100,000 turf sprint for fillies and mares.
Morticia, who was co-bred by trainer Rusty Arnold and owner G. Watts Humphrey Jr., has never missed the board in four starts on the Keeneland turf. She finished second in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes going a mile in spring 2017, and later that year became a graded stakes winner in taking the Grade 3 Franklin County Stakes. She finished third in both the Giant’s Causeway and Franklin County last year.
Morticia has started in 17 consecutive stakes since February 2017. She has won six times in that span while not finishing worse than fourth.
“It’s pretty rare and pretty enjoyable,” Arnold said. “You bring her over there and she runs her race.”
While she is consistent, Morticia is looking to get back in the win column for the first time since taking the Penn Ladies Dash last June. In her 2019 debut, she was beaten a neck by the streaking Samara after leading into the lane in the Captiva Island Stakes on March 9 at Gulfstream. That came off an unplanned two-month layoff, as Morticia was entered for the Ladies’ Turf Sprint in January at Gulfstream, but was scratched when that race was rained off the turf.
“She is doing well and just got beat in her comeback race,” Arnold said. “She went a little too fast early with a 20 and change first quarter, and just got caught at the wire.”
Morticia will have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Saturday.
The Giant’s Causeway rematches the top three from the Mardi Gras Stakes last month on the Fair Grounds turf. Student Body, trained by Chris Davis, won the Mardi Gras to bring her record to 2 for 2 this year. La Dame Blanche and Excessivespending were second and third.
Surrender Now, a stakes winner on dirt as a juvenile, won a pair of turf sprints last summer at Del Mar for trainer Peter Miller. She is making her first start since August.
Factorofwon, a stakes winner last May at Santa Anita, comes off an allowance win at Gulfstream.
