Anthony Calabrese’s MORE THAN A REASON (More Than Ready) rallied into
contention leaving the far turn and won a three-horse duel to the wire in
Saturday’s $100,000
Queens County S. (G3) at Aqueduct, scoring by a head over Stormy’s
Majesty (Stormy Atlantic) with the favored Arson Squad (Brahms) another neck
back in third. Overlooked at 19-1 in the six-horse field, the Randi Persaud-trained
winner paid $40.20, $11.20 and $5.10 for his first stakes victory.
Claimed for $15,000 in November 2008, More Than a Reason qualifies as a
modern-day “iron horse.” He raced 24 times in 2009, winning but twice, and made
his 18th appearance of 2010 in the Queens County. Unplaced in his last three
starts, More Than Reason is now a three-time winner this year, his previous
victory coming against starter allowance rivals in May, and the five-year-old
improved his career record to 60-12-9-11, $477,720.
“He’s my best horse. I don’t train him hard, I just run. That’s all he does,”
Persaud said. “I was supposed to run him last Sunday for the optional claim, but
I just skipped it. I was shooting straight for this race. You’ve got to be in it
to win it. He’s going to have a break now.”
Seniors Pride (Sweetsouthernsaint) established an early pace in :24 4/5, :50
2/5 and 1:15 3/5 before giving way in the 1 3/16-mile event. More Than a Reason
rated at the back of the pack under Eddie Castro and rallied into the frame on
the final bend. He carried his momentum into the stretch while wide, but the
pace-pressing Stormy’s Majesty still had more to offer down along the rail,
passing the quarter-pole with a slight lead. Arson’s Squad momentarily posed a
serious threat as he split the pair in midstretch, but the 4-5 favorite lacked
the necessary finish.
More Than a Reason closed determinedly to edge the stubborn Stormy’s Majesty
in the final strides, stopping the teletimer over the fast inner track in 1:57
3/5.
Stormy’s Majesty, who was exiting a two-length score in the Discovery H.
(G3), paid $4.90 and $3.20 as the near 7-2 third choice. Arson Squad returned
$2.20. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to 3-1 second favorite Modern Cowboy (Tiznow),
with Seniors Pride and Pedrolino (Distorted Humor) next under the wire. The
exacta totaled $194.50, and the 5-2-1 trifecta gave back $488.50.
Bred in Kentucky by Ron & Tom Kirby, More Than Reason placed in three stakes
last year, including a non-threatening third in the Queens County. The bay horse
is out of the winning Sab’s Reason (Sabona), who is also the dam of a yearling
filly by Southern Image, and second dam Reasoning (Naskra) is the producer of
Grade 2 victress La Reason (Labeeb [GB]) and multiple stakes queen Reason to
Talk (Sabona). Reasoning is a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Logic, dam
of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire and sire Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat)
and Grade 3 scorer Connemara (Giant’s Causeway).