Mo Forza makes it four straight with a Mathis Brothers Mile win
It took six starts for Mo Forza to break his maiden. The 3-year-old colt hasn't lost since.
On Saturday, Mo Forza continued his ascent in the turf division with his fourth straight victory -- a streak which includes three consecutive graded stakes in southern California -- in the Grade 2, $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita Park.
Mo Forza and Joel Rosario were outrun early and near the back of the pack as a quintet of horses raced for the early lead. Never Easy emerged from the early pace battle and set fractions of :22.38 and :46.39 for the opening half mile. Mo Forza began to steadily make up ground on the backstretch of the one-mile contest before ranging up to the leaders on the second turn through six furlongs completed in 1:10.57.
Mo Forza was set down for the drive, quickly spurted clear of the field in mid-stretch and was kept to task to win as the even-money favorite. Originaire, with champion Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli in for his first local rides, closed to be second and was followed by second-choice Neptune's Storm.
Trained by Peter Miller, Mo Forza completed one mile on a good course in 1:34.26 and paid $4.40.
"He broke bad and was five-wide on the turn...but he's such a good horse he made up the ground," Miller said. "I've never had a turf horse this talented.
"I thought we’d be sitting a couple lengths off the pace in third or fourth, and there we were in the back of the pack and five wide, and I’m going ‘Oh Geez, I don’t know about this,’" Miller continued. "But the pace was hot, and Joel knows what he’s doing, so everything worked out.
Mo Forza started his career with five straight losses before earning his diploma at Santa Anita on Sept. 29. He followed that effort with wins in the Twilight Derby (G2) and most recently the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 30.
“He’s like big kid that finally learns to use his feet and hands and it’s all over," Miller said. "He always had the talent but he never really could put it all together I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He is just starting to learn and once he relaxes a little bit better and doesn’t want to lay in when he passes that last horse I think the sky is the limit. He’s just a tremendous horse."
Mo Forza is owned by the partnership of breeder Bardy Farm, whose principal is former California-based trainer Barry Abrams, and OG Boss. Miller said a start in the $3 million, Lasix-free Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 is likely the next target for Mo Forza.
"A great job by Joel for harnessing him because he is a lot of horse and great job to Barry who bred the horse to win the race for Barry it’s a thrill," Miller said. "I think the (Pegasus) is our first option, if everything is going well. With no Lasix the horse is never been a bleeder and so I don’t see any reason why the Pegasus wouldn’t be our next option."