Unbridled Mo outruns Power of Snunner in Doubledogdare

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It wasn’t the most exciting stakes of the spring meet, but when it’s printed in the Keeneland scorebook, it still might look like the proverbial line-shot base hit.

Unbridled Mo, confidently ridden by jockey John Velazquez, turned back a sustained run from Power of Snunner in the final furlong to prevail amid a field of just four fillies and mares in the Friday feature, the Grade 3, $100,000 Doubledogdare Stakes.

Bred and owned by the Red Oak Stable of John Brunetti, Unbridled Mo paid $2.80 as a prohibitive favorite after finishing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:45.11 over a fast track.

Before an ontrack crowd of 16,664, Unbridled Mo always had the front-runner, Dear Elaine, in her sights when laying a relaxed second. In the far turn, Unbridled Mo took over without asking, but then Velazquez had to put her to a steady drive to win by three-quarters of a length.

“When she got to the lead, she started waiting,” Velazquez said. “When the other horse got to her, she put in a nice fight. It was her, just waiting, looking at the crowd and everything. Thank God the other horse came to her and made her run again.”

Power of Snunner, a 7-year-old Pennsylvania-bred mare, was another 7 1/4 lengths before Lady Fog Horn, with Dear Elaine bringing up the rear. Twirl Girl was an early scratch from an original lineup of five.

Unbridled Mo, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, now has won 6 of 8 career starts and $531,180. Four of her victories have come in stakes, including two other Grade 3 events. She was making her first start since capturing the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 29.

The Doubledogdare marked the 52nd career stakes win at Keeneland for trainer Todd Pletcher, further distancing him (52-50) in that category from his former mentor and boss, D. Wayne Lukas, who began the meet with a 50-49 margin over Pletcher.

Perhaps more remarkably, it was the fourth time Pletcher and Velazquez had teamed to win the Doubledogdare in just 23 runnings, with their earlier triumphs coming with Colony Band (2005), Pool Land (2006), and Embur’s Song (2011). Velazquez also won the 2015 running aboard Deceptive Vision for trainer Malcolm Pierce.

The $2 exacta (5-1) paid $7 and the $1 trifecta (5-1-2) returned $12.40.