Mopotism Holds Experience Edge in Oaks
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Photo: Coady Photography
Mopotism training at Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Oaks
Trainer Doug O'Neill and Paul Reddam have a very good shot of painting the town of Shelbyville, Ind., purple and white July 15 at Indiana Grand Race Course.
About a half-hour before their Irap takes to the track for the $500,000 Indiana Derby (G3), they'll send out stakes-winner Mopotism in the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) under Mario Gutierrez.
Mopotism holds the class edge in the 1 1/16-mile Oaks after making five of her nine starts in graded stakes company. While winless in that class, she's held her own against top company in Southern California.
Bred by Frank Batten and a $300,000 purchase by Doug's brother Dennis O'Neill at last year's Fasig-Tipton Florida sale, Mopotism is yet another runner by leading third-crop sire Uncle Mo , the sire of 31 stakes winners from his first two crops.
At 2, Mopotism earned a grade 1 placing when third behind Abel Tasman in the Los Alamitos' Starlet Stakes and was well back of that one earlier this year in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). However, she bounced back in her first outing since the Oaks, dropping a head decision to Faypien in Santa Anita's Summertime Oaks (G2) June 17. She has a fair amount of early speed and will need it to gain position from her outside (8) post.
To her immediate inside is Lee Mauberret's Wicked Lick who also finished off the board in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. After the Oaks, the Maclean's Music filly rallied from mid-pack to finish second in a two-turn allowance optional claiming race under the Twin Spires June 24.
Earlier in the year at Fair Grounds, Wicked Lick ran second in the Silverbulletday Stakes and TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). She had been ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. in her last six outings, but will be ridden in Indiana by Corey Lanerie.
Hernandez landed on the Neil Howard-trained Stonetacular, Stoneway Farm's Speightstown filly who has won two of five starts. A $175,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October purchase, Stonetacular faces stakes company for the first time.
There's not many graded stakes run these days without an offspring of three-time leading sire Tapit , and the Oaks fits the bill for G. Watts Humphrey's Awestruck. A $525,000 Keeneland September grad, Awestruck was favored in her past three races but has only one victory to show for it, a maiden score around one turn at Keeneland in late April.
A filly on the way up is Big Chief Racing, Rocker O Ranch, and Keith Desormeaux's Majestic Quality. While it took her 10 times to break her maiden—that came May 21 at Santa Anita—she did run fourth behind Mopotism in the Summertime Oaks and was elevated to third via disqualification. Desormeaux's brother, Hall of Fame rider Kent, has the mount.
Indiana Oaks (G3)
Indiana Grand, Saturday, July 15, 2017, Race 8
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $200,000
- 3 yo Fillies
- 9:21 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Overture (FL) | Julien R. Leparoux | 115 | William I. Mott | 12/1 |
| 2 | 2Dutch Parrot (AR) | Joseph Rocco, Jr. | 115 | William B. Van Meter | 20/1 |
| 3 | 3I'mluckysgirl (KY) |
Rodney A. Prescott | 115 | James T. Spicer | 30/1 |
| 4 | 4Majestic Quality (KY) |
Kent J. Desormeaux | 115 | J. Keith Desormeaux | 3/1 |
| 5 | 5Awestruck (KY) |
Joe Bravo | 115 | George R. Arnold, II | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Stonetacular (KY) | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. | 119 | Neil J. Howard | 7/2 |
| 7 | 7Wicked Lick (KY) | Corey J. Lanerie | 115 | Brendan P. Walsh | 8/1 |
| 8 | 8Mopotism (KY) |
Mario Gutierrez | 119 | Doug F. O'Neill | 7/5 |