Munny Spunt put in a game rally outside of Zapperkat in the stretch of Sunday’s $100,690 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, but came up a head short after being floated wide and bumped multiple times by that rival in the lane.
The result was immediately posted with the stewards’ inquiry sign flashing, and not long after Munny Spunt earned her first stakes victory with the disqualification of Zappercat to second.
The star of the race was supposed to be Paradise Woods, making her return in this spot off an 11th-place effort in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs. Prior to that, the Richard Mandella pupil romped by 11 lengths to capture her stakes bow in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1).
Paradise Woods was sent off the heavy 1-5 favorite, but stumbled out of the gate. Zapperkat took full advantage and grabbed the lead, setting splits of :22.66, :47.45 and 1:11.98 while tracked by Chocolate Coated and the favorite.
Paradise Woods came up empty in the stretch, but Munny Spunt was more than willing to pick up the slack. The Munnings filly and jockey Drayden Van Dyke were four wide on the first turn and three wide on the final bend while steadily picking off rivals. They joined Zapperkat in the lane just as jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. switched to the left-handed whip.
Zapperkat immediately began drifting out, taking Munny Spunt with her and bumping that rival hard. Munny Spunt just missed the win by a head on the wire, with Zapperkat finishing a mile over the fast Del Mar main track in 1:37.20, but the stewards immediately began reviewing the stretch run. They disqualified Zapperkat to second for interference, thus elevating Munny Spunt to her first stakes win in only her second try.
The Doug O’Neill trainee paid $38.60 as the 18-1 fourth choice in the seven-filly field. Munny Spunt was three lengths up on Bernina Star on the wire, while completing the order of finish were Chocolate Coated, Mistressofthenight, Paradise Woods and Helen Hillary.
Campaigned by ERJ Racing LLC, John Fuller, Richie Robershaw, Steve Rothblum and O’Neill, Munny Spunt is now 13-5-3-0, $141,235 in her career. The dark bay sophomore began her career for trainer Jeff Mullins in the claiming ranks, taking her first win on March 23 at Santa Anita Park in her fourth try against maiden claiming rivals.
Munny Spunt competed four more times, winning twice, before O’Neill claimed her from a June 30 sprint. She posted a 4 1/2-length score in another claimer on July 29 at Del Mar before trying stakes rivals for the first time in the August 13 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3), where she ran fourth most recently.
Bred in Florida by Harriet Finkelstein and Hartley de Renzo Thoroughbreds, Munny Spunt is the first registered foal out of the Hard Spun mare Spin the Blues, who is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Blues Street and Group 3-placed Beale Street. Munny Spunt’s second dam is Grade 1 heroine Stormy Blues.
TORREY PINES QUOTES
Doug O’Neill, trainer Munny Spunt, winner
“She has got such a big heart. We knew that Paradise Woods was a super good filly, but it was in our own backyard, we knew our filly loved the track and we thought we’d take the chance.
On the decision to supplement
“It’s always easy after the fact but we thought we’d take a chance and it worked out this time. I hate to win on a DQ like that but our filly never got to run the last sixteenth of a mile. We hate to win like that, but we’ll take it.”
Drayden Van Dyke, jockey Munny Spunt, winner
“She broke OK and I just let her get comfortable. She was taking me where I wanted to be. About the three-eighths (pole) we got serious. When we got into the stretch, I got hit (by Zapperkat) once; then I got hit again. When that happened I knew I might have a chance to be given this one. When they knock you off balance, then usually something happens. This is the first time I’ve won a graded stakes on a disqualification.”
Norberto Arroyo Jr., jockey Zapperkat, second
“She surprised me (by her swerves outside). She’s never done that before (Arroyo has ridden her in her previous four starts). She really just got away from me.”
Santiago Gonzalez, jockey Bernina Star, third
“Good race for my filly. She broke well and she ran well. No complaints.”
Flavien Prat, jockey Paradise Woods, sixth
“Everything went wrong. She broke badly, then she got very aggressive. At the three-eighths (pole) she finally took a breath and settled down. But then when we went into the stretch, I was totally out of horse.”
