Ronald Stewart’s Mommasgottarun (Maclean’s Music – Love in Tokyo by Tiznow) returned off just five day’s rest to make the grade for trainer Linda Rice in Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong main track sprint for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Mommasgottarun finished a pacesetting fifth under returning rider Eric Cancel in the nine-furlong Top Flight on Sunday at the Big A, but raced with different tactics in the Distaff, rallying from off the pace to secure the 1 1/2-length victory. She cut back to sprinting for the first time since she was haltered for $50,000 by Rice out of an off-the-board effort going the Distaff distance in December.
“I didn’t feel like she got the right trip and things didn’t work out the way I’d hoped in the Top Flight,” Rice said. “I was looking at both races trying to decide which one to use and I decided to go to the longer race, but it didn’t unfold how I’d hoped. But to get a graded placing for a filly is a big deal and that’s what I was hoping for [today].”
Mommasgottarun, the 30th stakes winner for sire Maclean’s Music, emerged from the outermost post 7 as post-time favourite Rossa Veloce broke awkwardly to her inside under Jose Ortiz and trailed the field early. Gerrymander rushed up along the rail from her inside post to lead the field exiting the chute and through an opening quarter-mile in 23.60 seconds over the fast main track.
Rossa Veloce went six-wide in pursuit of the frontrunners down the backstretch while Mommasgottarun was held near the rear of the compact field. It was a three-way battle for the lead between Gerrymander, longshot Hydra and Rossa Veloce approaching the turn as Cancel began to coax Mommasgottarun to unleash a four-wide bid after a half-mile in 47.25. The Katie Davis-piloted Funny How was full of run through the turn, but could not find room along the inside and was forced to maneuver around foes.
Mommasgottarun took command at the top of the lane and drew clear from an all-out Rossa Veloce and Hydra while Funny How found her best stride late in the stretch and made one last try at the sixteenth pole, but could not make up the needed ground. Mommasgottarun remained well clear of her rival and crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:25.29.
Bred in Ontario by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Mommasgottarun is out of the Tiznow mare Love in Tokyo and hails from the family of 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. She has hit the board in 4 of 5 starts since being claimed by Rice, including a one-mile optional claiming score on March 17 over the local going. She banked $82,500 for her Distaff victory, boosting her total purse earnings to $337,298 and improving her career record to 19-6-4-3. Mommasgottarun returned $16 for a $2 win ticket.
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