Mo Town Colt Catches Eye in Santa Anita MSW
C R K Stable’s Smart Mo (3c Mo Town x Vendita, by Smart Strike) caught the eye at Santa Anita Friday with a debut-winning Maiden Special Weight performance.
Sent out over one mile on the dirt by trainer John Shirreffs, Smart Mo was second last in the field early on before jockey Joe Bravo allowed him to move closer to the leaders. Aiming for the leaders around the turn, Smart Mo entered a duel with Worcester at the quarter pole.
That duel lasted all the way to the wire with Smart Mo coming out a head in front with the third place horse 11 lengths behind them and the fourth place horse 22 lengths behind.
Smart Mo was a $190,000 purchase by Mayberry Farm at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds from Britton Peak after selling for $105,000 to H43 Equine from Taylor Made Sales as a yearling.
Bred in Kentucky by DP Racing, Smart Mo is the first foal out of an eight-time winning daughter of stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Cure For Sale. The dam of five winners from six to race, Cure For Sale is a full sister to Blues For Sale. That mare produced Grade I Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize and Argentine champion Blue Stripe among her own foals.
Mo Town is the sire of 18 winners in 2023 with two graded stakes winners – the best of any second crop sire this year. His 35 winners overall is 10th best of his crop with few runners than most of the horsews in front of him.