Pete's Play Call relishes surface change in Bonapaw Stakes

NEW ORLEANS – Mike Maker is renowned for claiming turf horses and turning them into stakes horses. Saturday, he pulled the move in a dirt sprint when Pete’s Play Call splashed to a 2 1/2-length win in the $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes.

Pete’s Play Call and runner-up Wilbo both benefited from the Bonapaw being moved from turf to a sloppy, sealed main track. Wilbo made a strong move off the turn and looked like a winner in midstretch, but Pete’s Play Call had raced nearer the front and the rail, an advantageous position Saturday, and turned back his challenge to draw clear the final half-furlong.

Maker claimed Pete’s Play Call for $80,000 Sept. 20 at Churchill Downs on behalf of owners Michael Hui, Hooties Racing, and WSS Racing from trainer Robertino Diodoro, who makes plenty of high-end claims himself. Pete’s Play Call finished fourth for the same tag last month at Churchill Downs but moved up Saturday on the sort of off track he loves, running his record over wet dirt to 4-0-1 from six starts.

A 6-year-old gelding, Pete’s Play Call is by Munnings out of Taft Lil Queen, by Irish Open. Ricardo Santana Jr. rode the winner, who was timed in 1:04.38 for 5 1/2 furlongs and paid $8 to win. Star of Kodiak finished a distant third.

Captivating Moon shines in Buddy D.

Trainer Chris Block shrewdly entered Captivating Moon in both the Buddy Diliberto Memorial, a stakes scheduled for turf, and the Tenacious Stakes, a dirt race Saturday at Fair Grounds. When rain forced the Buddy Diliberto from turf to dirt, Block chose that spot and Captivating Moon, who can handle either surface, proved much the best facing a small, watered-down field of foes who prefer grass.

Brian Hernandez Jr. steered Captivating Moon right over to the Saturday’s golden Fair Grounds rail as the other four horses left in the race all tried to make the front. Renaisance Frolic made the lead with Great Wide Open, appearing to hate the ground, struggling to keep up on his outside. By the time Renaisance Frolic had run a half-mile in 48 seconds, Hernandez had Captivating Moon breathing on the leader’s flowing tail, and when Great Wide Open cornered poorly into the home stretch, Hernandez tipped out, easily took the measure of Renaisance Frolic, and had plenty left to hold clear a later run from Space Mountain. Space Mountain finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner while clear of third-place Factor This.

Captivating Moon was timed in 1:45.82 for 1 1/16 miles and paid $4.20 to win. The 4-year-old son of Malibu Moon and Appealing Storm, by Valid Appeal, is owned by Bob Lothenbach and won for the fourth time in 19 starts.

Notapradaprice undresses Blushing K.D. foes

Notapradaprice ($15.40) made an early lead in the $75,000 Blushing K.D. Stakes, and over Saturday’s sloppy, sealed, and inside-speed favoring surface, that was all it took to propel her to a 6 1/2-length romp.

Notapradaprice, Corey Lanerie up, outran English Soul to the front, brushed aside her pace rival in upper stretch, and drew away to a dominant victory in a two-turn raced scheduled for turf and rained onto a sodden main track.

Stave was along for second and Avie’s Mineshaft finished third as Notapradaprice ran 1 1/16-miles in 1:45.88 winning her second stakes race this year.

By Paddy O’Prado out of Brenda’s Slew, by Straight Man, Notapradaprice is trained by Eddie Kenneally for Stonehaven Steadings. The 5-year-old mare is a nine-time winner now from 26 starts.