Mo Plex scoring the Ohio Derby. (JJ Zamaiko Photography)
Saratoga Race Course Notes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – R and H Stable’s dual graded stakes-winning New York-bred Mo Plex continues to train forwardly for his upcoming outing in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, a nine-furlong route for sophomores on September 20, at Parx Racing.
Mo Plex [9-5-1-2, $775,000] captured the Grade 3 Sanford and state-bred Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital here last summer. He notched additional stakes scores in the seven-furlong Listed Bay Shore in April at Aqueduct Racetrack with Manny Franco aboard ahead of a Joe Ramos-piloted victory in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 21 at Thistledown.
Last out, Mo Plex was a pacesetting fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun where he was 10 1/4-lengths back of Sovereignty, who is favored in Saturday’s Grade 1 DraftKings Travers here.
Englehart said he preferred to wait for the Pennsylvania Derby rather than run in Thursday’s state-bred Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company or Saturday’s Travers.
“I have to give him another shot [at the top-flight], especially when I don’t think he ran his ‘A’ race in the Jim Dandy,” Englehart said.
Englehart said he is buoyed at the prospect of Mo Plex being reunited with Ramos and the fact that the last two Pennsylvania Derby winners – Seize the Grey [4th] and Saudi Crown [2nd] – made their previous start in the Jim Dandy.
“He’s going to come into the race fresh. It’s a lot of time between races and we’re going back with Joe Ramos who rode him in the Ohio Derby,” Englehart said. “To me, you look at the last two winners of the Pennsylvania Derby – they both lost in the Jim Dandy and made their next start in the Pennsylvania Derby. Both those horses had good natural speed so why not try to make it three in a row.”
Mo Plex has worked back twice over the Oklahoma training track, including a half-mile in 48.48 August 17. Englehart said the colt is in good order and should things not work out at the top-flight, a return to state-bred company in the $250,000 Empire Classic versus elders on October 25 at Belmont at the Big A looms.
“He’s doing really well,” Englehart said. “I can always come back and run him in the Empire Classic, but I definitely think he deserves another shot.”
Bred by Everything’s Cricket Racing, Mo Plex was a $45,000 purchase at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, a half-sister to dual stakes-placed Little Daddy.
