Mo Maverick pulls away in Lamplighter

R.A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables’ Mo Maverick sat comfortably off the early pacesetter Hot and Heavy before taking the lead at the top of the stretch and pulling away to the length and a half score in the $60,000 Lamplighter Stakes at Monmouth Park Saturday.

Trained by George Weaver, Mo Maverick covered the mile and a sixteenth on the “good” turf in 1:42.80 and paid $4, $2.60 and $2.20 as the even-money favorite in a field 7 three-year-olds. Dover Cliffs completed the $10 exacta and paid $3.40 and $2.40. It was just a neck back to a late-charging Harlan Strong, who paid $2.80 to show.

“He sat just off the early pace and was comfortable,” said winning rider Eddie Castro. “I felt the horse come pressure me on the outside and I asked him to run and he took off. He’s a really good horse.”

The son of Uncle Mo out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Splendor earned his first stakes win after placing twice in stakes company and improves his record to 4-2-1 in nine lifetime starts, good for earnings over $200,000.