Captivating Moon Surprises in Fair Grounds Stakes
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Captivating Moon wins the Fair Grounds Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course
An injury to 3-year-old filly Charlie's Penny kept trainer Chris Block and owner Bob Lothenback of Lothenbach Stables out of the Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 13. So they simply had to win another graded race on the card instead.
Mitchell: Charlie's Penny to Scratch From Rachel Alexandra
Their representative in the $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T), Captivating Moon, lit up the tote board with a 43-1 upset in the 1 1/16-mile grass race over yielding ground.
In winning for the first time since December 2019 when he took the off-the-turf Diliberto Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds, the 6-year-old son of Malibu Moon unleashed a powerful rally down the center of the course to defeat Logical Myth by 1 3/4 lengths. He raced 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.27 following splits of :48.14 and 1:12.20 set by Spectatacular Gem and Factor This.
Peace Achieved was third, Set Piece fourth, and favored Factor This weakened to fifth in the 10-horse field.
Captivating Moon won for the fifth time in 29 starts, earning $90,000 and increasing his career bankroll to $608,118. Following a nine-race losing streak between the 2019 Diliberto and Saturday's race, he returned $89 for a $2 win wager.
"How crazy is this game? Today is the day I thought I would be looking forward" to the Rachel Alexandra, Block said. "And this guy saves the day."
Block said his hope was that wet weather in New Orleans might force the Fair Grounds Stakes to the main track, but a wet turf course proved just as fortuitous. As a 3-year-old in 2018, he had shown a liking for wet grass when second over yielding grass in the American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.
"The turf course was real soft in the American Turf, and he loved it. So I thought maybe he might like this," Block said.
Cezanne (Outside) and Cruel Intention worked 4 Furlongs in 48.20 @santaanitapark on February 13th, 2021, for trainer @BobBaffert. Watch and Wager on @1stbet pic.twitter.com/UIioarIfNe
— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) February 14, 2021
He did, rallying into contention earlier than in some of his other recent starts, and still delivering his usual strong finish down the lane under Marcelino Pedroza.
Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Captivating Moon is the fourth graded/group stakes winner for the Valid Appeal mare Appealing Storm, who earlier produced Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) Vacare, Prix Thomas Bryon (G3) winner Abtaal, and Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T) winner Single Solution. Another foal, Nobody's Fault, was a minor stakes winner.