Grade 2 winner Mo Town took a spin around Payson Park in Florida on Saturday for trainer Tony Dutrow, who clocked the bay son of Uncle Mo breezing five furlongs in 1:02.
“He went very, very good,” said Dutrow. “He really couldn’t be much better.”
Mo Town is readying for the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct on April 8. The Kentucky-bred colt captured the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct last November 26 to round out his juvenile campaign.
Mo Town made his seasonal bow last out on February 25 at Fair Grounds, finishing fifth in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) as the 3-2 favorite, and has recorded official four breezes at that New Orleans track since then. The most recent of those came on March 25 going a half-mile in :47.80.
“He is proven over the Aqueduct racetrack, so that was the biggest decision maker (to run in the Wood Memorial),” Dutrow said. “We’ve been training him the same way and he’s been responding to it, so I just kept things the way they’ve been. (Jockey) Javier (Castellan) rode him in his first start and he’s watched him in his other races, so he knows the horse. I think we’re excellent.”
Dutrow added that Mo Town will ship from Florida on Monday.
In other Wood Memorial news, Irish War Cry will have his final breeze before the 1 1/8-mile contest on Sunday at Fair Hill Training Center, according to trainer Graham Motion.
The chestnut son of Curlin went three-for-three to open his career, including wins in the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on February 4 and the Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park on New Year’s Eve. Irish War Cry was sent off the even-money favorite in his last race, the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream, but faded to seventh on the wire after pressing the early pace.
“That’s why I chose the race, because I like the five weeks and the rest,” Motion said, before adding about his trainee trying nine furlongs for the first time in the Wood Memorial, “Certainty I don’t know for sure he’s going to handle it, but I don’t know why he wouldn’t.”
Joel Rosario piloted Irish War Cry in his past pair at Gulfstream, but Motion decided to go with Rajiv Maragh for the Wood Memorial.
“I was keen to have another rider who was familiar with the New York circuit,” Motion explained.
Irish War Cry, who was last caught breezing five furlongs in 1:01.10 on March 25 at Palm Meadows, is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday.
Stretch’s Stone could make his stakes bow in the Wood Memorial depending on how he works in the next few days, owner/breeder Roddy Valente said.
The Bruce Levine-trained son of Bustin Stones broke his maiden by 8 1/4 lengths on December 18 at Aqueduct and just missed by a quarter-length when facing allowance/optional claiming rivals in his seasonal bowl back at the Big A. However, he was elevated to first via disqualification.
“It was a big step up for him…we just think he’s going to break through,” Valente said. “Maybe it won’t be enough, but I think he’s going to make a really good effort for himself.
“Bruce always wanted to stretch him out and we lost a good four weeks (to weather) before that (last) race. He just had two slow halves and a five-eighths into him. When we drew the 10 hole, we tried to reenter into a six-furlong race a few days later. Bruce said to me, ‘I know I’ve got him fit for three-quarters, I don’t know if I got him fit for a mile and a sixteenth.’
“To me, the best part of that race is what he did and I know he wasn’t 100 percent going into that race,” Valente added. “And, quite honestly, I know he’s a good horse, I don’t know how good a horse he is, and I’d rather find out for $750,000 instead of, say, $60,000. That’s our reasoning.”
