Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss’s homebred MADEO (Mizzen Mast) unleashed a strong
late rally to collar the pacesetting Storm Military (Arg) (Bernstein) in
Sunday’s $100,000
Inglewood H. (G3) at Hollywood Park. Patiently handled by Mike Smith, the
2-1 favorite was along in time by a head at the wire. The John Shirreffs charge,
whose closing rush fell one length short in the one-mile Arcadia H. (G2) last
time out, relished the added ground here to complete 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 on the
firm turf. Madeo returned $6.60, $3.40 and $2.60 and spearheaded the $1 exotics
— $12 (exacta), $32.90 (trifecta) and $108.50 (8-7-1-5 superfecta).
Storm Military dictated a sedate tempo through fractions of :24 1/5, :49 1/5
and 1:13 1/5 while stalked by U S Ranger (Danzig). Although Storm Military
fended off the challenge of U S Ranger by a head in the stretch, he had no reply
to the winner’s onslaught. The 7-2 runner-up gave back $4.80 and $3, while U S
Ranger yielded $3 to show at 5-2. Awesome Gem (Awesome Again) reported home
another 1 1/4 lengths back in fourth and was trailed by Becrux (Ity) (Glen
Jordan), Worldly (GB) (Selkirk) and Medjool (Monarchos). Mr Napper Tandy (GB)
(Bahamian Bounty), who captured Saturday’s San Francisco Mile (G2), was
scratched, along with Silent Soul (Afternoon Deelites).
Madeo’s second stakes score improved his mark to 13-5-2-1, $463,715. An upset
winner over Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) in last summer’s Del Mar Derby (G2), the
four-year-old bay was also runner-up in the Oak Tree Derby (G2) and Alydar S.
Three starts back in the San Fernando S. (G2) on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride, Madeo
was pulled up when taking a bad step. He subsequently passed a battery of tests
with flying colors, and has won two of three since reverting to turf.
The Kentucky-bred is out of the stakes-winning Deputy Minister mare Passion
Flower, who has been barren for the last three years. Her youngest foal is the
unraced sophomore filly Patrizi (Empire Maker). Passion Flower is a half-sister
to Nassau County S. (G2) victress and Acorn S. (G1) runner-up C’est L’Amour
(Thunder Gulch). This is the family of Grade 2 queen Herboriste (Fr) (Hernando
[GB]) and Irish Group 3 hero The Bogberry (Hawk Wing), second in the Prix
d’Harcourt (Fr-G2) two starts ago and fifth in Sunday’s Prix Ganay (Fr-G1).