Logical Myth Wins Third Straight Race in Bradley

JPS Racing's Logical Myth picked up his third consecutive win of the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet Jan. 16 as he pulled clear of the frontrunners to win the $125,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes.

The 5-year-old Data Link gelding took the Dec. 19 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes over the same course and a 1/16-mile distance with an inside trip after drawing the rail. Trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Adam Beschizza were pleased when Logical Myth drew the rail again for the Bradley.

"He's a steadily improving horse. I thought the race was going to set up good for him today with that nice inside post," said Sharp, who claimed Logical Myth for $40,000 last May at Churchill Downs. "Adam has gotten a lot of confidence in the horse from riding him in the mornings and the afternoon. I'd like to say thank you to the owner JPS for entrusting us with the horse. What a fun ride. He's getting better and better and it looks like the best part of the year is still ahead of him."

After being bumped in the hindquarters at the start, Logical Myth, the 3-1 second choice, settled in the two path as he went into the first turn. Big Agenda set fractions of :23.59, :48.17, and 1:12.29 through six furlongs, with favored Spectacular Gem in second.

Beschizza moved Logical Myth inside on the second turn and cut the corner heading into the stretch. The bay gelding made an inside bid to hustle past Spectacular Gem and Big Agenda, then continued on to a 2 1/4-length win. The final time over the firm turf was 1:42.13. 

"The rail seemed to open up a lot earlier than it did the last day," Beschizza said, referring to the Diliberto. "He's really turned a page, this horse. He seems to know his job and he loves his routine in Joe's barn, and he seems to have flourished since the change. The owners are here today and they're over the moon thanks to Joe. This horse has become a barn favorite. Happy all around."

Bred in Kentucky by Glendalough, Logical Myth is one of two stakes winner out of the Flatter  mare Undo, who also produced the stakes-winning, grade 2-placed Crystalle. Undo foaled a Jimmy Creed  colt in 2020 before being reported bred to More Than Ready .

Prior to being claimed, Logical Myth was a $37,000 purchase by Greg Foley, agent, from the Shawhan Place consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. From 18 career starts, he's put together a 7-2-1 record and has earned $255,536.

Secret Message Kicks Home in Krantz

Secret Message quickly rewarded Spendthrift Farm after being purchased for $625,000 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale, from the ELiTE consignment. The 6-year-old daughter of Hat Trick, now with Brad Cox as trainer, used a late turn of foot to propel herself to victory in the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds. 

The Krantz was Secret Message's second start for her new connections. She was third in the Dec. 19 Blushing K. D. Stakes, also at Fair Grounds. Previously trained by Graham Motion for Madaket Stables, Heider Family Stables, ERJ Racing, Elayne Stables, and Steven Bouchey, Secret Message is a three-time graded stakes winner, with her top score coming in the 2019 Nassau Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. 

The 2-1 second choice in a field of eight, Secret Message was under tight restraint early by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and raced in seventh. Jeanie B led the field through fractions of :23.57, :48.34, 1:12.60, and 1:36.60 through a mile. Secret Message was still seventh at the six-furlong marker, was swung six wide, and accelerated to be third a half-length off the leader with a sixteenth of a mile to go.

Room to Finish made a bid up the inside, but Secret Message finished strong to win by 1 1/4 lengths. She completed the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.66. Room to Finish edged out Jeanie B by a length for second.

Cox was appreciative of the pace Secret Message had to run at.

"We really liked her in her last race. It was definitely disappointing with the outcome of the last race," he said. "We were hoping we'd get a little better trip today, setup today, and we got both. Shaun did an excellent job of executing the plan and it worked out great. She's a pretty solid filly, obviously, a multiple graded stakes winner, and a very, very nice mare."

Secret Message was bred in Kentucky by Allen Tennenbaum out of the Gone West mare Westside Singer, who has a yearling colt by Flintshire  and was reported bred to Oscar Performance  last year.

From 21 career starts, she holds a 7-2-3 record and has earned $564,413. 

Manny Wah Goes Last to First in Kenner

Susan Moulton's Manny Wah made his turf debut in the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds and rallied from last to first to collect his first stakes victory. The 5-year-old son of Will Take Charge  was the second longest shot on the board at odds of 12-1, but proved best when he mowed down his six rivals to win going away.

"Steve Leving, the racing manager and adviser for Ms. Susan, kept saying 'I want to put this horse on the turf, I want to put him on the turf.' I said. 'We'll get our day,' and today was our day," said winning trainer Wayne Catalano. "We took a shot to run him on the turf today and he proved us good."

The Kenner was Manny Wah's first win since September 2019, though he placed in eight of 10 races in between, including when third in the 2019 Malibu Stakes (G1) in his lone start for trainer Bob Baffert.

Jockey Miguel Mena was in the irons Saturday for Catalano, who has conditioned the horse for the rest of his starts. After Manny Wah broke a step slow in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint, Mena settled him at the back of the field and asked him to pick it up in the two path on the turn.

Just Might showed the way through fractions of :22.19, :44.62, and :56.80 with a head in front of Readyforprimetime. While those two were locked in battle, Manny Wah swept by on the outside and got up to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The final time on the firm turf was 1:02.38.

"(Catalano) gave me instructions—good break and keep him comfortable," Mena said. "(Manny Wah) did his usual, he dropped back in the backside, but he was traveling great and I called on him a little bit in the stretch and he was rolling. I didn't even have to hit him. He loved the turf."

"The jock said that was very impressive," Catalano said. "That's what he said to me and I thought it was also. He just sprouted wings, as they would say."

Just Might finished second, still a head in front of Readyforprimetime in third.

Manny Wah was bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Mulholland and Modo Tesio Equine and is the first foal out of the stakes-winning, grade 1-placed Proud Citizen mare Battlefield Angel, a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Blended Citizen  and a half sister to 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Lookin At Lee . Battlefield Angel's latest foal is a yearling filly by Justify . She was reported bred last year to Constitution . 

Moulton purchased Manny Wah for $175,000 in 2017 from the Warrendale Sales consignment to The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Lexington. From 23 starts, Manny Wah has collected a 4-6-6 record and earned $501,888.

Video: Colonel E. R. Bradley S. (BT)

Video: Marie G. Krantz Memorial S. (BT)

Video: Duncan F. Kenner S. (BT)