Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks

Sophomore filly More Moonshine (Malibu Moon) sat off a quick pace and skipped home in the muddy stretch to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' nod for an impressive belated debut Sunday at Saratoga. Having been very close to an unveiling here last year only to suffer a setback, the dark bay showed an upbeat local tab for a barn that can win with a firster but doesn't often get bet like it, and was let go at 6-1. Away in good order, the Summer Wind Equine homebred sat in a distant sixth among a strung-out group as favored Equal Pay (Quality Road) took pressure through splits of :22.44 and :45.49. Florida invader Perfect Grace (Tapit–Havre de Grace) ranged up and briefly looked like the winner approaching the straight, but More Moonshine soon caught the eye out wider and cruised past Perfect Grace in upper stretch. Never shown the stick by Junior Alvarado, she cantered away by 6 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:23.59. Perfect Grace was far in front of the others. Equal Pay faded to last, one spot behind well-bred newcomer Mezcal (Pioneerof the Nile–Cathryn Sophia). The winner is a full to fellow 'Rising Star' Moonshine Memories, MGISW, $549,056, a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad and two-time highest-level winner at two; and half to precocious runner and former California-based sire Indian Evening (Indian Charlie), SW-Can, GSP-USA, $140,172, who was third in the local GII Saratoga Special S. in 2011. Another half-brother, stakes-placed Mo for the Money (Uncle Mo), stands in Arkansas. Dam Unenchanted Evening–a half to Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old Favorite Trick (Phone Trick)–was also bred by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind. She has a 2-year-old full-brother to More Moonshine and Moonshine Memories who cost $375,000 at Keeneland September before being exported to France. Unenchanted was not bred back for 2020, but produced a Justify colt this term. Malibu Moon, who died in May at age 24, has now sired an impressive 22 'TDN Rising Stars'.