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Fresh off a second-place finish in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Anthony Fanticola’s Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) captured Saturday’s GII Joe Hernandez Stakes down the hill at Santa Anita. After bobbling slightly out of the gate, Motorious settled kindly midpack behind a :21.71 and :43.78 pace set by 60-1 Code Duello (Honor Code). Extremely wide after crossing the dirt, he stayed on his wrong lead for several beats before hooking up with two-back Lure Stakes winner Sumter (War Front) in the lane. Sumter was slightly quicker as the two mowed down the leader and pulled clear of the rest in a battle to the wire. Finally on even terms just a few jumps before the finish, the two surged to the line with Motorious prevailing by a head. The hard-trying Irideo (Arg) (Easing Along), a Group 1 winner in Argentina and Grade I-placed in North America, got up for third.
“[Motorious has] proved to be a very good horse sprinting and going down the hill,” said winning rider Antonio Fresu. “Today I tried to give him a really good warm up. He was kind of slow in the beginning and it was kind of hard to get into his rhythm. When I let him loose down the lane he just kept grinding and I thought he finished best.”
A winner in England, where he started his career under conditioner Stuart Williams, Motorious has been in the U.S. with Phil D’Amato since late 2021 after Craig Rounesfell’s Boomer Bloodstock picked him up for 220,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. He’s improved every year, taking the GIII San Simeon Stakes and GIII Green Flash Handicap in 2023 before repeating in the Green Flash this summer, getting that second in the Breeders’ Cup, and now adding the Joe Hernandez. Saturday’s win and the San Simeon were at 6 1/2 furlongs, while the others were at five panels.
“You have to be a really good horse to adapt to the different distances,” said D’Amato. “He has a great turn of foot and I think that older disposition that he’s had now has helped him in these victories.”
D’Amato said Motorious will be freshened before kicking off a 7-year-old campaign in the spring.
Pedigree Notes:
Muhaarar, who stands at France’s Haras du Petit Tellier, is the sire of 30 black-type winners and 15 graded winners. The son of Oasis Dream (GB), a triple Group 1 winner during his own career, has also been represented by another 2024 multiple graded U.S. winner in Be Your Best (Ire).
Motorious has a 2-year-old unraced half-brother by Sergei Prokofiev who sold in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October sale in 2023, hammering for 220,000gns to SackvilleDonald. His yearling half-sister by Ardad (Ire) sold in Book 2 at Tattersalls October this year, bringing 420,000gns from Amo Racing. Dam Squash, herself multiple group placed, hails from the same extended family of GISW and Claiborne sire Lea.
MOTORIOUS (GB) ($3.80) grinds out the win and bests a game Sumter in the $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2) at @SantaAnitaPark. @Antonio1Fresu was in the irons for trainer @PhilDamato11.
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— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 28, 2024
Saturday, Santa Anita
JOE HERNANDEZ S.-GII, $201,500, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo/up, 6 1/2fT, 1:11.86, fm.
1–MOTORIOUS (GB), 123, g, 6, by Muhaarar (GB)
1st Dam: Squash (GB) (MGSP-Eng),
by Pastoral Pursuits (GB)
2nd Dam: Super Midge (GB), by Royal Applause (GB)
3rd Dam: Sabina (GB), by Prince Sabo (GB)
(55,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT; 220,000gns 3yo ’21 TATAHI).
O-Anthony Fanticola; B-Kirtlington Stud & Mrs Mary Taylor
(GB); T-Philip D’Amato; J-Antonio Fresu. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 21-8-5-2, $807,604. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Sumter, 121, g, 5, War Front–A Little Bit Sassy, by More Than
Ready. O-Perry R. Ramona S. Bass II; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Richard E. Mandella. $40,000.
3–Irideo (Arg), 121, g, 8, Easing Along–Infiltrada (Arg),
by Footstepsinthesand (GB). O-William DeBurgh; B-Pozo de
Luna (ARG); T-Marcelo Polanco. $24,000.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.90, 12.90, 16.50.
Also Ran: Code Duello, Gaslight Dancer, Central Dispatch, Air Force Red, Unconquerable Keen (Ire). Scratched: Sorrento Sky (Ire).
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