The Jim Stable’s AH DAY (Malibu Moon) opened up turning for home and cruised
to the wire an impressive 5 1/2-length winner of the $121,500
Federico Tesio S.
in the slop at Pimlico on Saturday. Trained by King T. Leatherbury and piloted by
regular rider Ryan Fogelsonger, the talented three-year-old was always in
striking range tracking the leaders before pouring it on late, completing the
nine-furlong test in 1:50 4/5. The 2-1 race-time favorite gave back $6.40, $4.20
and $3.20 while topping the $31.70 exacta, $126.50 trifecta and $2,410.50 superfecta, all for $1 increments.
Vegas Play (Exploit) chased with the winner until midstretch but had no
answer late, settling for the place while 6 1/2 lengths clear of third. The 10-1
shot paid $8.80 and $5. Putonyerdancinshuz (Malibu Moon) won the battle for the
show by one length, paying $5.20 in the process at 8-1. Colby Cat (Classic Cat)
concluded the superfecta at 24-1.
Scanlon’s Song (Partner’s Hero) was next and followed by Roamin Murphy
(Grindstone), Our Peak (Peaks and Valleys), Kellers Church Rd. (Pioneering),
Kona Blend (Dixieland Band) and Sharps Island (Deputy Minister). Victory Lake
(Victory Gallop) was scratched.
Ah Day passed his first nine-furlong race with flying colors in running his
mark to 8-4-2-1 with earnings of $187,780. The bay captured the Horatius S.
three prior while placing in the Dancing Count S. and Private Terms S.
Bred in Maryland by K.T. Leatherbury Assoc. Inc., the winner is out of
Endette (Thirty Eight Paces) and has a trio of unraced half-sisters, a
two-year-old named Dixiette (Swear By Dixie), an unnamed yearling by Crowd
Pleaser and a 2006 by Parker’s Storm Cat.
Also at Pimlico, Runnin Cardinal Stable et al’s SOMETHINABOUTBETTY (Forestry)
took her competitors gate-to-wire in the $78,750
Country Life Farm S.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Mike Luzzi, the three-year-old lass
completed the 1 1/16 miles over the slop in 1:46 in earning her second stakes
win.
Somethinaboutbetty sports a lifetime mark of 7-3-2-0 with a bankroll of
$128,800. The bay captured the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship S. two back before
finishing unplaced in the Old Hat S. (G3) in her seasonal bow.
In the $66,250
Maryland Stallion Station S., William Reightler et al’s PAGAN
MOON (Malibu Moon) outdueled pacesetter Rainbow Inthestorm (Storm Boot) through the lane
in eclipsing his first stakes tally. The winner completed the six panels in 1:11
3/5 for conditioner Jann Anderson and jockey Ryan Fogelsonger.
Pagan Moon has a career line that reads 4-3-0-1, $71,360.
PLATA (Skip Away) took the lead out of the gate, opened up a big margin in
the stretch, and then held off a pair of late runners en route to a win in the
$83,750
Northview Stallion Station S. The Katherine Vass trainee got nine sloppy
furlongs in 1:52 beneath Mario Pino in taking her first stakes race.
The four-year-old Plata upped her mark to 10-5-2-0 with a bankroll of
$143,020.