BALTIMORE, Md. – Robin Doser and Metropolitan Thoroughbreds’ undefeated 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt Mo Money Mo Honey made it three straight victories to open his career with a popular front-running 4 ¼-length triumph Friday at historic Pimlico Race Course.
Ridden by Horacio Karamanos for trainer Ben Feliciano Jr., Mo Money Money ($4) covered six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:09.92, notching his second straight win over older horses in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
Mo Money Mo Honey broke running from his rail spot and quickly found himself in front pressed through a quarter-mile in 23.05 seconds and a half in 46.03 by River Dog. Karamanos sat unmoved as Mo Money Mo Honey cruised on the lead and opened up once straightened for home.
“These are older horses and there was a lot of speed in the race,” Felicano said. “But, the way he’s been winning he’s been running in hand. I just told him to break good and see where we’re at. I don’t think we would have had any trouble coming from off of it, because we did rate him last time. But we had the outside last time. This time we had the inside and I was a little nervous about getting trapped down in there, but as soon as he broke I said, ‘It’s over.’”
“If we stretch him out a little bit I think he’s going to pretty much most of the time be up there close, but there’s always a concern when you’re running horses,” he added. “That was my concern today. He might get trapped down the rail and not be able to get out, but he broke and he was gone.”
Including his 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight triumph July 16 and a six-furlong open allowance Aug. 14, both at Laurel Park, Mo Money Mo Honey has now won his races by 17 ¼ combined lengths. A son and grandson of champions, he is out of the Curlin mare Stopshoppingdebbie, who won nine of 10 career starts including eight stakes. Feliciano purchased him privately for $15,000 after he fetched just $14,000 at Keeneland’s September 2000 yearling sale.
Feliciano said Mo Money Mo Honey could make his stakes debut in the seven-furlong City of Laurel for 3-year-olds Nov. 26 at Laurel.
“We haven’t even stretched him out yet. His family is all long. His mom is long, Uncle Mo is long, so we’ve got a lot to look forward to with him. I think the City of Laurel Thanksgiving Day, I might go there,” he said. “I might fit one [race] in between there. We have to look. I’ve looked at the 3-year-old races and there’s not many in that time frame, so I might just wait and work him up to that race.”
Notes: Jockey Horacio Karamanos registered a hat trick Friday with Aesthetically ($10.80) in Race 5, Mo Money Mo Honey ($4) in Race 6 and Passion Play ($24) in Race 8. He now leads apprentice Jeiron Barbosa, 8-7, in the fall meet standings … Jevian Toledo swept the early double Friday aboard Expect Ours ($8) in Race 1 and Ghost Stalker ($9) in Race 2 … There will be a carryover of $3,027.10 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 6-11) for Saturday’s 11-race program. Tickets with five of six winners Friday were each worth $126.02.
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
Photo by Jim McCue/MJC
