Moon Over Miami, Micheline Take Kentucky Downs Stakes

Moon Over Miami needed some good fortune to draw in from the also-eligible into the $707,625 Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs, but there was nothing lucky about his performance.

Accelerating past rivals on the outside after rating in 10th early, he swooped to the lead in midstretch and out-battled stubborn pacesetter Big Dreaming to win by a half-length. The 3-year-old son of Malibu Moon  raced 1 5/16 miles on a firm turf course in 2:06.76 under Javier Castellano, paying $16 to win as part of a contentious field of 12 3-year-olds.

"When I asked the horse, he gave me that gear, gave me that powerful kick," Castellano said."The way he finished, I was very impressed.”

The Bill Mott trainee won for the third time in nine starts and notched his first stakes victory. Prior to the Dueling Grounds Derby, he had run fourth in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course July 18 and won an allowance at Churchill Downs June 20. Those races came with blinkers, which were added to his equipment after he was unplaced in his first four races of 2020.

"I think the blinkers have helped. And on the turf he's obviously found a home," said Mott assistant Kenny McCarthy.

Summer Wind Equine bred and owns the colt, who is out of the Smart Strike mare Zinzay.

He is the second winner from his dam, who placed in the JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in 2013. Zinzay also has a 2-year-old named Mozay (by Uncle Mo ), a yearling named Spin Wheel (by Hard Spun ), and foaled a Ghostzapper  filly this year named Nyxed. Spin Wheel is cataloged as Hip 1241 in the upcoming Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lane's End's consignment.

Big Dreaming was gritty in defeat in running second, giving the winner a battle to the wire after it looked in midstretch as if Moon Over Miami might kick away by a comfortable margin. He finished 3 3/4 lengths clear of third-place Shamrocket, who was followed by graded stakes winner Peace Achieved in fourth.

Tepid 4-1 favorite Bama Breeze lagged at the back of the pack early and passed only tired horses to be seventh.

Micheline Wins Dueling Ground Oaks

A race earlier, Micheline steamrolled down the center of the course to catch heavily favored Harvey's Lil Goil by a neck in the $453,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks.

The win provided the owner/trainer team of Godolphin and Mike Stidham with their third major stakes victory in less than a week. This past weekend, Mystic Guide won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course for them and Pixelate took the Del Mar Derby (G2T) Sept. 6.

Those winners, like Micheline, were prepped by Stidham for Godolphin at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland before they traveled for their stakes engagements.

Micheline ($22), a homebred daughter of the Darley stallion Bernardini , relished the lengthy distance of the Dueling Ground Oaks, rallying from eighth under Joel Rosario. Even Harvey's Li Goil, who had spurted clear in midstretch, could not withstand her in the final furlong. The winner completed 1 5/16 miles on turf in 2:06.41. 

"I thought I was never going to catch (Harvey's Lil Goil)," Rosario said. "But she kept trying. I was riding, and she kept trying. Finally the last part of it, I got close to the horse and she got up and ran really well."

Luck Money, a 29-1 longshot, ran third and second favorite Stunning Sky was fourth.

Out of the dual grade 1-winning Include mare Panty Raid, Micheline notched her third stakes win after taking the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2019 and Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier this year. She is the third winner from her dam's four foals to race.

The Dueling Grounds Oaks went off more than a half-hour after originally scheduled on a hot afternoon. The 11 fillies returned to the paddock after a power outage temporarily halted the track's television production.