9/26/10
Last updated: 9/25/10 7:22 PM
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Morning Line (right) denied First Dude and A Little Warm in a blanket finish to take his stakes debut
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) |
In a topsy-turvy, quarter-mile run to the wire in Saturday’s $1
million
Pennsylvania Derby (G2), it was the stakes newcomer MORNING LINE
(Tiznow) who fought back to reclaim the lead he had lost then
held off a resurgent First Dude (Stephen Got Even) to score a victory
in the lucrative nine-furlong test at the former Philadelphia Park.
Owned by the Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable and trained by one of
its partners, Nick Zito, Morning Line prevailed at odds of 7-2 under
John Velazquez and returned $9.60, $5.40 and $3.60.
Morning Line established an early lead, chased on his outside by
First Dude, with the margin between the two varying from a half-length
to one length through the opening six furlongs. Morning Line raced off
the inside, forcing First Dude wide around the first turn, and
maintained his position on that part of the track down the backside as
he clipped off fractions of :23 2/5, :47 1/5 and 1:10 4/5. Exhi (Maria’s
Mon) raced closer to the rail in behind the top pair with A Little Warm
(Stormin Fever) in close pursuit.
Entering the far turn, Garrett Gomez sent A Little Warm to the
outside of the long-time leaders and appeared to grab a slight lead
passing the quarter pole. In tight between rivals approaching the
stretch, First Dude weakened slightly and was shut off as A Little Warm
moved inside to race alongside Morning Line. A Little Warm poked his
head in front at the eighth pole and looked poised for victory, but
Morning Line fought back gamely on his inside while First Dude, who had
appeared to lose all chance after losing several lengths at the top of
the stretch, came charging back outside both rivals once he regained his bearings. With A
Little Warm’s momentum shut down, Morning Line took back the lead and
held off First Dude by a neck with A Little Warm, in between rivals, another nose behind in third.
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First Dude, who has now placed six times at the Grade 1 and Grade 2 levels
without winning, gave back $3.20 and $2.20 as the 8-5 favorite. A Little Warm
paid $2.40 at 5-2, with Exhi eight lengths back in fourth. The exacta paid
$37.20 and the 5-6-4 trifecta was worth $90. Afleet Again (Afleet Alex) chased
in fifth throughout while outsider Severe Weather (February Storm) enjoyed a
caboose trip through 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 4/5 over the fast main track.
Fourth in his only start at two last November at Aqueduct, Morning Line
return to racing on May 22 and finished second in a Monmouth Park maiden. He
made his next start at the same venue, winning by eight lengths. Moving on to
Saratoga, the dark bay finished second in his allowance debut before winning by
11 lengths at the same level in his most recent start August 21. His record now
stands at 6-3-2-0, $674,800.
A $700,000 Keeneland September yearling, Morning Line was bred in Kentucky by
Dell Ridge Farm and was produced from the unraced Indian Snow (A.P. Indy). That
makes him a half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed Brady Baby (Gone West), a
yearling colt by Roman Ruler and a weanling filly by Empire Maker. Morning
Line’s second dam is November Snow (Storm Cat), the 1992 Alabama S. (G1) and
Test S. (G1) winner and full sister to Grade 3 winner Scatmandu.
