Mo' Green, coming off a runner-up effort in the Feb. 18 GII Royal Delta S. for trainer Joe Orseno, broke through with a first graded victory in Sunday's GIII Top Flight Invitational S. at Aqueduct. The bay filly, now trained by John Servis, chased the pacesetters while three wide into the first turn and continued up close and three wide down the backstretch as favored Isabelle (Successful Appeal) was pressed by Verve's Tale through fractions of :24.47 and :48.98. Verve's Tale took over at the head of the lane as the favorite faltered, but Mo' Green quickly strode to the lead and surged clear late.
“This is the first time I've run her and I was a little concerned about her in the paddock, she seemed very quiet,” admitted Servis. “I asked the owners, 'Is she always like this?' And they said, 'No, she's usually ramped up.' Then when she broke, she broke so sharp I knew I didn't have to worry about her being quiet. She put herself into the race and had a perfect trip. When they leave there running, they usually put themselves in good positions and [Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was really just able to sit on her until the eighth pole, really.”
Servis said the May 19 Allaire DuPont Distaff at Pimlico could be next for Mo' Green.
Mo' Green, who ended 2016 with a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Margate S. at Gulfstream Park Dec. 26, opened the New Year with an optional-claimer victory going one mile Jan. 19. She was a well-beaten second behind Curlins Approval (Curlin) going 1 1/16 miles in the Royal Delta in her final outing for Orseno.
Pedigree Notes:
The stakes-placed She's a Rebel Too, in foal to Creative Cause, sold for $22,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. She produced a filly by that Airdrie stallion in 2015. She was bred to Lone Star Special in 2016.
Sunday, Aqueduct
TOP FLIGHT INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $196,000, AQU, 4-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:51.79, ft.
1–#@MO' GREEN, 116, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: She's a Rebel Too (SP, $144,965), by Two Punch
2nd Dam: Dixieland Queen, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Fearless Queen, by Iron Ruler
($40,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $70,000 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-Leonard
C. Green; B-Candy Meadows LLC & Jim R. Wells (KY); T-John C.
Servis; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-3-1,
$259,420. *1/2 to Brother in Arms (Yes It's True), MSP,
$211,305. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: A.[bullet ad=”allied-bloodstock”][bullet ad=”eisamanequine-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Verve's Tale, 123, f, 4, Tale of Ekati–Verve, by Unbridled.
O/B-Charles E. Fipke (KY); T-Barclay Tagg. $40,000.[bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”]3–Oasis At Midnight, 118, m, 7, Midnight Lute–Per Se, by
Deputy Commander. ($110,000 Ylg '11 KEESEP; $30,000 3yo
'13 KEENOV). O-David L. Rousso; B-Beclawat Stable (KY);
T-Joseph F. Orseno. $20,000.[bullet ad=”adena-sold-only”]Margins: 3HF, 4 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 2.65, 38.00.
Also Ran: Winter, Isabelle. Scratched: Disco Rose. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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