Mo Cash set for challenge in Sunshine Millions

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ron Spatz said Mo Cash couldn’t be doing any better after the graded stakesplaced speedster blew out three-eighths in 34.68 seconds here Monday for the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint. But Spatz also knows Mo Cash will be facing his stiffest challenge yet when he squares off against X Y Jet, one of the premier sprinters in the country, in the Sprint, one of four stakes to be decided on Saturday’s Sunshine Millions card.

Spatz has always tried to spot Mo Cash as judiciously as possible. In fact, he got away with running the son of Adios Charlie for a $35,000 claiming tag when launching his career here a year ago, and Mo Cash responded with a nine-length victory. He’s never raced for a price again.

Mo Cash won each of his next two starts, both stakes, and was subsequently graded stakesplaced when second behind Three Rules here last summer in the Grade 3 Carry Back. He avenged that setback in his most recent start in a Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa.

“He’s come out of his last race well, had three nice works since, and he’ll come over there on Saturday as good as he can be,” Spatz said. “We’ve been trying to keep him in restricted divisions and stuff when we can, but have kind of run out of those spots now. And even though this is a Florida-bred stakes, once you get in with older horses you have to face the reality of catching competition that’s as good as open company, like an X Y Jet.”

Antonio Gallardo rode Mo Cash to victory in his last start at Tampa but has other commitments this weekend, according to Spatz, who has reached out to Javier Castellano as a replacement.

Along with X Y Jet and Mo Cash, the Sunshine Millions Sprint also is expected to attract Sheikh of Sheikhs, Quijote, and Bold Envoy.

Eye-catching debut winners

Trainer Ian Wilkes is not known for his success with firsttime starters. But he certainly had Originator fit and ready to go off the bench when making her debut in Sunday’s finale.

Originator, a 3-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller, exploded from off the pace once clear in the stretch under jockey Chris Landeros to register a threelength victory launching her career in a five-furlong maiden special weight dash on the turf. She received a 77 Beyer Speed Figure for her effort and paid $58.

“I guess the price reflects my reputation with first-time starters,” Wilkes said with a smile after the race. “But I really expected her to run well. She never finished when she worked on the dirt, but when I put her on the turf for her final work, she finished very well and held her own in company with Nessy, who is an older stakes horse. And she’s very well bred for the grass.”

Originator, owned by Denholtz Stables, is out of a stakes-winning dam who had already produced two previous grass winners.

“I told the owners I was running her in this race just to get her started, but that I think she’ll be even better when she stretches out,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes also said that Nessy, a long-distance turf specialist who has been idle since his secondplace finish in the Grade 3 Sycamore on Oct. 19 at Keeneland, would return to action here on the Pegasus World Cup undercard going 1 1/2 miles in the Grade 3 W.L. Mcknight.

Originator wasn’t the only impressive 3-year-old debut winner on Sunday’s card. A couple of hours earlier, trainer Mark Hennig unveiled Cypriana, a daughter of Bodemeister, who ran to her backing capturing her bow over hard-luck runner-up Cilantro. Cypriana, who earned a 70 Beyer, was one of three winners on the card for jockey Jose Ortiz.

On Saturday, trainer Todd Pletcher unleashed another good-looking 3-year-old when sending out Magnum Moon to a 4 1/2-length debut win. The son of Malibu Moon completed six furlongs in a crisp 1:10.03 for which he received a 94 Beyer.

Magnum Moon was one of four winners on Saturday’s card for Luis Saez, who came back with another riding double the following day, with both of those wins for trainer Dale Romans.

3-year-old allowance intrigues

Racing resumes Wednesday following the only dark day of the week with a 10-race card that features a trio of first-level allowance and optional-claiming races, all three to be decided for a purse of $51,000.

The most intriguing of the afternoon’s co-features is the ninth race, carded at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds and what looks like a battle between a pair of recent graduates, Impact Player and Septimius Severus.

Impact Player, a son of City Zip, needed four starts to finally win his maiden for trainer Todd Pletcher, doing so here five weeks earlier when moving forward with the addition of blinkers to outlast courageous first-time starter Projector by a head following a race-long pace duel. Impact Player posted a careerbest 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Septimius Severus was purchased privately by his present connections and turned over to trainer George Weaver after winning his career debut for Charlton Baker on Nov. 25 at Aqueduct. Septimius Severus, by Roman Ruler, rallied from just off the pace to a welldeserved nose decision over the more experienced Thunder’s Honor. Septimius Severus has been training forwardly for his 3-year-old bow for Weaver at Palm Beach Downs.