In the Mood wasn’t, in early in the $50,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park Friday, but she made up for it late, gobbling up ground to catch Streetlady by a head at the wire. Homemade Salsa also closed late to get up for third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind.
Jockey John McKee and In the Mood (11) prepare to overtake Streetlady on their way to winning the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park. Credit: Coady Photography
The win was the first stakes victory for the filly as well as for her owners Stephen and Brenda Sandy and for Stephen Sandy as trainer.
“She got off the bit early,” said winning jockey John McKee. “Then at the three-eighths pole she kind of got into position and started getting to running. Then turning for home she just exploded. She acts like she can go longer.”
Longer is indeed the plan, according to Steve Sandy, and may mean the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks, Turfway’s one-mile Kentucky Oaks points race March 17.
“We knew she could run,” Sandy said. “She’s a nice filly. We put her in the right spot and we got lucky. We certainly will have to look at [the Bourbonette].”
Zodacious clocked the first quarter in :23.34 but Streetlady quickly assumed command to get the half in a brisk :45.82 and six furlongs in 1:10.80. She entered the stretch with a 4 1/2-length lead and looked all but home free when In the Mood came flying to catch her at the wire. Final time for the 6 1/2 furlong test for 3-year-old fillies was 1:17.73.
My Dark Secret finished fourth, followed by Secret Message, 8-5 favorite Fairyland, Wendy Peffercorn, Shared Silence, Zodacious and Thoughtless Doll. Gibby and Mauk’s Tuff were scratched by their trainers.
In the Mood went off the 5-1 third choice and paid $13, $5.40 and $3.80.
The Sandys claimed In the Mood from breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey out of a sprint at Keeneland last fall. The chestnut filly is by Eskendereya out of Sisterhood, by the Ramseys’ prepotent stallion Kitten’s Joy. In the Mood earned $29,450 for the win, boosting her earnings to $86,698. She now has three wins, two seconds and a third from eight starts.
Turfway Park
