Stopshoppingmaria profiled on New York Watch

Stopshoppingmaria nearly went in the Adirondack, but took the conservative route and pummeled maidens (NYRA/Adam Coglianese) Away cleanly in her second start, Repole Stable’s STOPSHOPPINGMARIA (More Than Ready) extended her advantage at every call to break her maiden by 9 3/4 lengths in Sunday’s 7TH race at Saratoga and join the New York Watch, which shines the spotlight promising maiden winners. With John Velazquez aboard, the Todd Pletcher juvenile sped six furlongs in 1:09 4/5, good for a 105 BRIS Speed rating. The victory impressed Pletcher so much that he was second guessing the decision to enter Stopshoppingmaria in the maiden race instead of the Adirondack S. (G2) later on the card. “We contemplated going in the stake today, but ultimately we decided not to,” Pletcher said. “It might have been a mistake.” In her previous start, Stopshoppingmaria stumbled badly at the break and raced evenly to finish third, beaten three lengths. The winner of that maiden race, My Miss Aurelia (Smart Strike), returned to win the Adirondack by a neck.

“We expected (this kind of performance) in (Stopshoppingmaria’s) first start,
but she stumbled and it took her out of her element,” Pletcher said.

If Stopshoppingmaria quickly bounces back from her maiden victory, Pletcher
will consider running the dark bay in the Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga on
September 4.

“She obviously put herself in a position to look at the Spinaway,” Pletcher
said. “She’s in good shape. We’ll look at all our options.”

The Spinaway could serve as a rematch of the July 22 maiden race, with My
Miss Aurelia also under consideration for the seven-furlong event.

Pinhooked for $50,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Stopshoppingmaria
was resold at the OBS March Selected Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, where
she was acquired by Pletcher on behalf of Mike Repole for $100,000.

Bred in Kentucky by Mueller Farms, Stopshoppingmaria is out of Skybox (Spend
a Buck), who as a juvenile finished second in a minor stakes at the Meadowlands.
She has produced three horses with black type, including Sand Ridge (Known
Fact), who won five stakes at Prairie Meadows and placed in a pair of Grade 3
events, and Dootsie (Dixieland Band), a stakes winner at Monmouth Park.
Stopshoppingmaria’s second dam, stakes winner A Status Symbol (Exclusive
Native), produced Ball Chairman (Secretariat), the dam of Canadian champion turf
horse Perfect Soul (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). Also descending from A Status Symbol
is Grade 1 winner and hot freshman sire Flashy Bull (Holy Bull).

Stopshoppingmaria is the third filly Repole has named after his wife’s
shopping habits, following in the footsteps of No Shopping Maria (Dream Run) and
Stopspendingmaria (Montbrook).