Zipse: Steady New York-bred Mo Plex has a bright future

I’m not here to tell you that Mo Plex is the next big thing or that he should be going after Sovereignty and Journalism anytime soon. What I will say about the Ohio Derby winner is that he is a horse I absolutely would love to own.

After seven consistently good efforts in his home state, the New York-bred son of Complexity took his show on the road Saturday and trounced the competition in the Grade 3, $500,000 signature race of Thistledown.

We already knew that the Jeremiah Englehart-trained colt could sprint. That quality was proven on multiple occasions throughout his career, but now we know that Mo Plex is more than just a strong sprinter. The Ohio Derby victory was a bit of a game changer.

Coming off a sharp and tenacious victory going seven furlongs in Aqueduct's Bay Shore Stakes two months ago, Mo Plex was making his first start around two turns on Saturday while facing several graded-stakes performers experienced at a route of ground. A test to be sure, but one he would pass with flying colors.

Let go as the 5-1 fourth choice and breaking from the far outside post position in the field of eight, Mo Plex veered outward at the start and immediately had ground to make up. Under rider Joe Ramos, he quickly straightened and zipped up to second heading into the first turn.

With the Preakness pacesetter Clever Again carving out early fractions of 23.42 and 47.75 seconds, Mo Plex was content to sit in second while close enough to keep the well-regarded early leader honest.

He turned the screws on Clever Again midway through the final turn and took command from the second choice as the field turned for home.

Confidently ridden from there and kept off the rail, he faced a challenge from two other talented colts but had plenty in reserve to win handily.

On the Ohio Derby wire, Mo Plex was two lengths clear of the Louisiana Derby runner-up and race favorite Chunk of Gold and four lengths better than the Peter Pan runner-up McAfee.

Scooped out of the 2024 OBS April Sale for $45,000, Mo Plex demonstrated serious talent as a juvenile for owner R & H Stable by winning his first three starts, including the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga.

His winning streak ended when third in the Champagne Stakes (G1) and then second in the Sleepy Hollow to finish off his 2-year-old campaign.

Out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, Mo Plex has been even better as a sophomore. After a game third running a flat mile in the Gander Stakes to begin the season, he has come back with two very nice wins in the seven-furlong Bay Shore and the nine-furlong Ohio Derby.

A state-bred with serious talent, Mo Plex is now a four-time stakes winner in eight career starts. Three of his four wins in stakes races have come when facing open company.

Precocious enough to have won his career debut by 10 lengths, he is now proven at a distance against solid competition and is only getting better.

As a New York-bred, there is plenty of money available to be won, and as a talented and improving 3-year-old who has won stakes races from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, it would seem the racing world is wide open to his talents.

Never out of the money in eight career starts for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, Mo Plex has the speed to be on the lead while sprinting, and on Saturday he showed the ability to relax and wait for the proper time to make his move.

The handsome bay colt also has proven to be a fighter when challenged  down the lane. Mo Plex demonstrated his tenacity on multiple occasions.

All of these qualities should serve him and his team very well over future races. He already has won nearly three-quarters of a million, and he might be just getting started.

Not all good horses come from Kentucky. The New York-bred Mo Plex is proving himself a very good horse indeed.