Luna Vega shines in Molly Pitcher

Luna Vega and Spritely were both exiting the Go for Wand (Jessica Denver/Equi-Photo) Millennium Farms’ LUNA VEGA (Malibu Moon) raced in last during the early part of Sunday’s $223,000 Molly Pitcher S. (G2) at Monmouth Park, put in a four-wide rally rounding the turn and pulled off to secure a 1 1/2-length victory while giving jockey Elvis Trujillo his fourth winner on the day. The Steve Asmussen-trained four-year-old completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast track in 1:41 4/5 to add a first stakes win to her resume. Devil House (Chester House) was quickest from the gate, but allowed Jessica is Back (Put It Back) to range up along her inside and set the pace through splits of :23 1/5, :47 and 1:11. Spritely (Touch Gold) and You Asked (Yes It’s True) were running along in the second flight while Euphony (Forest Wildcat) and Luna Vega brought up the rear. That didn’t last long as Luna Vega began making up ground down the backstretch and had soon pulled herself into contention nearing the turn. The chestnut vaulted clear in the stretch, getting the mile in 1:35 1/5, but found company in the run to the wire. Spritely gave it her best effort, but could never get to Luna Vega, who returned $13, $5.40 and $3.40 as the 5-1 fourth choice.

Spritely was easily second best in the six-horse field, finishing seven
lengths clear of Devil House to pay $4.20 and $2.60 as the 2-1 second pick.
Devil House managed to get her head in front of Jessica is Back on the line to
take third and was worth $5 at 8-1. The exotics totaled $49 (exacta), $259.40
(trifecta) and $1,062.20 (4-7-5-2 superfecta). Euphony and You Asked finished
out the order under the wire after Annabill (Outflanker) was withdrawn.

Luna Vega took five tries to break her maiden, finally getting the job done
at Keeneland last October, and ran sixth while making her stakes debut in her
second start of this season in the Harry W. Henson H. at Sunland Park. The
chestnut lass tried stakes company again last out in the Go for Wand H. (G1),
finishing sixth and last. This score improves her line to 14-4-3-1 and boosts
her earnings to $227,692.

Bred in the Bluegrass State by Marshall Thoroughbreds, Luna Vega sold for
$67,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2006. She is out of multiple stakes
winner Donnavega (Rock Royalty), making her a half-sister to dual stakes heroine Athenavega (Olympio) as well as an unnamed
juvenile filly by Grand Reward and an unnamed yearling colt by Forest Grove. Donnavega is herself a half-sibling to multiple black-type winner Galaxy Vega
(Galaxy Libra [Ire]).