Velazquez, Joseph Capture Pebbles With 18-1 No Mo Candy
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
No Mo Candy withstands a stretch rally from Oversubscribed to win the Pebbles Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey John Velazquez, who separately won Breeders' Cup races last week at Del Mar, resumed their graded stakes-winning ways Nov. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack, teaming to upset the $175,000 Pebbles Stakes (G3T).
With Velazquez riding for Joseph aboard No Mo Candy , the 3-year-old Uncle Mo filly settled off leader Macanga in the mile turf race, took over in early stretch, and outlasted favored Oversubscribed for a 1 1/4-length victory in 1:34.84. The class-rising runner paid $38.40 to win as the biggest longshot in the race for 3-year-old fillies.
Velazquez, victorious on Straight No Chaser in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), won the Pebbles for the sixth time in his Hall of Fame career.
"I just wanted to get her settled as best I could and when I let her go out, she responded nicely," he said.
Way to Be Marie grabbed the show.
No Mo Candy, a bay bred by Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, becomes the first stakes winner for the Blame mare Sweet . No Mo Candy was a $80,000 purchase by Cayson Lane from her breeder's consignment to the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The Niall Brennan and Mike Ryan-owned filly is 3-for-4 for Joseph, whose Soul of an Angel won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) this past Saturday.
No Mo Candy is Uncle Mo's eighth graded stakes winner this year. The sire of grade 1 winners Adare Manor and Kingsbarns , Uncle Mo will stand at Ashford Stud next year for a $125,000 fee.