It’s Mo Town time in the Remsen

ABC, easy as one, two, three. There hasn’t been this much buzz about Motown since the Jackson 5 made beautiful music together. Now, the new, hot version of Mo Town moving up the charts is a juvenile son of Uncle Mo. A stylish winner of a maiden race at Belmont Park two months ago, the bay colt came back today to score a decisive victory in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct by 2 ½-lengths, and in the process, threw his hat in the ring as a 2017 Kentucky Derby contender. 

While the heavily favored Takaful was sent out and winging to a big early lead through fractions of :23.47 and :48.84, rider John Velazquez worked out a comfortable stalking position in the field of ten. As Mo Town, and the rest of the Remsen field began to cut into the large lead that the 4-5 shot had built up early on the backstretch of the Big A, the Tony Dutrow charge moved up nicely on the outside. 

Making his telling move on the far turn, Mo Town went to challenge the favorite, who was making only his second lifetime start, and while Takaful tried to answer, it was quickly clear that the young horse to his outside had his number. Sure enough, Mo Town went right on by and won driving to the wire in a final time of 1:51.58 over a main track labeled as fast. 

"He was very good,” said Velazquez. "He got carried wide into the first turn and after that I had to do the dirty job with the horse in front. After that, he did everything well. Hopefully he can come back better as a three-year-old." 

No Dozing, who also went off at 4-1, kept coming to the wire, but could get no closer than the 2 ½-length final margin. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the son of Union Rags was coming off a good fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, behind the eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion, Classic Empire. Takaful, although no match for the top two late, held on for third by a head over Win With Pride. The losing favorite had dazzled in a 6 ½-furlong maiden race in his career debut four weeks ago. 

Mo Town, owned by the powerful trio of Magnier, Tabor, and Smith, won for the second time in three starts. He began his career in late August at Saratoga, where he finished second in a good maiden race. Sent off at 3-5, in his second career start, a one-mile maiden in the mud at Belmont Park, the $200,000 yearling purchase romped home by seven lengths. Today’s important victory also raised his career earnings total to $243,600, while earning him 10 points to qualification into next year's Kentucky Derby.

"Going back to March, we always felt this was a good horse,” said a proud Tony Dutrow. “Being around him, knowing all we do about how he went into each of his races, I felt strongly that he would run big today. For him to prove this much, I feel great. I wanted the horse fresh and happy going into his 3-year-old year. I didn't use this horse. I didn't pressure this horse in getting him ready for today. I feel strongly that we have not seen what this horse is capable of yet. "He's going to go Payson [Park Training Center] and he'll have a very light December; next to nothing. I'll talk to the [owners] about what they are thinking, but if I owned the whole horse, I'd bring him up here for the Gotham. I'll talk to them about that and see how they feel." 

Sent off as the slight second choice, the winner returned $10.40, $5.50 and $2.80 across the board. The exacta over the third choice paid $45.00, while the trifecta completed by Takaful was good for $121.50.