Munnings’ Poster Leads Coolmore-Sired Exacta in G2 Remsen

It was a Coolmore-sired 1-2 in the Grade II Remsen Stakes on Saturday when Poster (2f Munnings x Pin Up, by Tapit) beat Aviator Gui (2c Uncle Mo x Paulistinha, by Tapit) by a nose.

The 1 1/8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby points race saw Poster make his first start on the dirt after running his first two races on the turf. Poster took up the job as the back marker in the field before passing one horse in the first turn. The Munnings son was tightly restrained by Flavien Prat down the backstretch when eager to run with the jockey letting him loose around the turn.

Poster was more than happy to pick up the pace, taking the lead turning into the stretch. There weren’t many horses willing to challenge him for the win with Poster gradually pulling away before Aviator Gui found clear running room. That Uncle Mo son came running, but ran out of the time with a nose separating the pair three lengths ahead of the third placed runner.

“When I turned for home, I figured it was going to be a long way by myself. He got to the eighth pole and started looking around and felt like the job was done. He regrouped nicely when that horse came,” said Prat.

A homebred for Godolphin, the Eoin Harty-trained runner is now undefeated in three starts with his victories coming at three different tracks. The victory gave him his first 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, while Aviator Gui earned five points.

He was one of two stakes winners on the day for Munnings, whose daughter Muhimma won the Grade II Demoiselle Stakes earlier on the card.

“Considering his pedigree, I know the family’s ins and outs, and I didn’t think he’d have a problem with it and I’m glad to be proven right,” Hardy said of the dirt debut.

Poster is out of the winning Tapit mare Pin Up, a half-sister to champion Bernardini and Grade I placed Ile de France. Pin Up is the fourth stakes producer out of Grade I winner Cara Rafaela.

That mare’s daughters have produced stakes winners such as dual Grade I winner Love and Pride and Grade III winner Thiskyhasnolimit among 14 stakes performers under her name.

Munnings is now the sire of 13 stakes winners and 29 stakes performers with four of those stakes winners and nine of those stakes performers being juveniles.