Munirah bubbles up in time in Boiling Springs

Munirah (right), a close relative of Artie Schiller, became a Grade 3 winner in only her third career start (Equi-Photo) Zanim R. Meahjohn’s Munirah rode the rail to a last-to-first victory in Monday’s Grade 3, $105,000 Boiling Springs at Monmouth, just denying pacesetter Sumba Sunset by a head. By capturing her stakes debut in only her third lifetime start, Munirah completed a rapid-fire Grade 3 double for trainer Graham Motion. At Saratoga about 11 minutes earlier, stablemate Ring Weekend conquered the Saranac — also a 1 1/8-mile turf race for three-year-olds. Munirah certainly had the pedigree, if not the racing experience. She is by Kitten’s Joy and out of the Red Ransom mare Speed to Burn, a Grade 2-placed half-sister to 2005 Breeders’ Cup Mile star Artie Schiller. With Kitten’s Joy being by El Prado, the same sire as Artie Schiller, Munirah boasts an even closer relationship with that $2 million-earner. Unraced until June 18 of this sophomore campaign, Munirah argued the pace and held on by a half-length in a six-furlong maiden on the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta. She switched to turf and stretched out to two turns in a second-level allowance at Delaware Park on July 30, where she settled off the pace and surged late to finish second. That short but intriguing resume was enough to send her off as the 7-2 second choice in the Boiling Springs, and she continued her upward spiral.

With Trevor McCarthy back aboard, Munirah was patiently handled at the rear
of the eight-filly field. Up front, Sumba Sunset came through to head Mary n’
Eileen through an opening quarter in :22 4/5, and went on to post splits of :47
2/5 and 1:11 1/5 on the firm turf. Little Journey, the 7-5 favorite, was tucked
in just behind the leader on the rail, while Black Elegance endured a wider trip
throughout.

The 11-1 Sumba Sunset threatened to go wire to wire as she continued to hold
sway deep into the stretch. Little Journey tipped out to try to offer a rally,
and Black Elegance and She’s Not Here both loomed further out, but Sumba Sunset
had the measure of all of the closers on the outside.

The real danger came from the inside. Munirah launched a strong move on the
fence rounding the far turn, and kept to that ground-saving path while gaining
in the lane. Keeping on relentlessly inside the final sixteenth, she inflicted a
last-gasp heartbreak on the longtime leader. Munirah negotiated 1 1/8 miles in
1:47 2/5 and returned $9.80 to win.

“I just let her break and decided to take her back to last to relax,”
McCarthy said. “It was an honest pace and she was really able to save ground and
pick it up at the end. The more she’s run, the more she’s learning and she
showed her class today.”

Sumba Sunset held the runner-up spot by a half-length from She’s Not Here.
Black Elegance was the same margin back in fourth, edging Little Journey by a
nose. Next came Queenie’s Song, Mary n’ Eileen and Sallyport, and the
main-track-only My Merry Way was scratched.

Bred by B.P. Walden Jr. in Kentucky, Munirah brought $160,000 as a Keeneland
November weanling. She has now earned $88,400 from her 3-2-1-0 record.

Munirah’s dam, Speed to Burn, is also a half-sister to South African stakes
heroine Our Table Mountain, who has produced Group 1-placed Careful Hiker and
Group 3-placed Helderberg Blue. Another half-sibling, Hidden Dance, is
responsible for Japanese Grade 2 victor Toho Alan.

Munirah’s second dam is multiple Grade 1 queen Hidden Light, herself a full
sister to multiple Grade 1 turf star Prince True. They were in turn out of
another multiple Grade 1 winner, Tallahto, whose highlights include a defeat of
males in the 1974 Oak Tree Invitational. Tallahto is the ancestress of several
other stakes performers, led by multiple Grade 3 scorer Marcavelly.

This is the further family of 1986
Kentucky Derby
winner and 1987 Horse of the Year Ferdinand.

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