by Myra Lewyn
Godolphin’s Music Note and Brereton Jones’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Proud Spell both stumbled at the start of the $237,500 Mother Goose Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park. But the similarity of their trips ended there as Music Note recovered to easily earn her first stakes win by 3½ lengths after a perfect stalking trip, while Proud Spell encountered trouble throughout a race that ended in a disqualification.
Making her stakes debut, Music Note scored her third straight victory as the 1.65-to-1 second choice in her fourth career start and covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.75 on a track rated as fast.
Proud Spell stumbled badly at the break and was shut off by Hamsa. Proud Spell was caught in traffic at the quarter pole and raced erratically through the stretch under regular rider Gabriel Saez before veering out in deep stretch and interfering with pacesetter Never Retreat. Proud Spell crossed the finish line in second, but after a stewards’ inquiry she was disqualified and placed third.
The Mother Goose drew only four contenders, with Proud Spell the most accomplished of the quartet. Trainer Larry Jones said the Proud Citizen filly, sent off as the 1-to-2 favorite, was “against it” from the very start.
“She looks like she’s OK; she didn’t grab a quarter or nothing,” Jones said. “From the beginning, it looked like it wasn’t going to be our day. When we needed somewhere to go, we had nowhere to go. And when it was time to go, we weren’t going.”
Music Note raced in third under Javier Castellano, three wide while stalking Never Retreat who set the tempo though six furlongs. Never Retreat gave way to Music Note on the far turn and the A.P. Indy filly extended her advantage to two lengths in early stretch before crossing the finish line unchallenged.
“I had a beautiful trip, even though she stumbled at the start,” Castellano said. “I tried to position myself; I did not want to be on the lead. It was a pretty tight trip. I wanted to be in position to just push the button. She galloped out good, and I don’t think she will have a problem going farther.”
Never Retreat finished third, but was elevated to second via Proud Spell’s disqualification. Hamsa, who also stumbled badly at the start, was never a factor and finished last.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said Music Note, who has $218,000 in career earnings, has several options, including the Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 16 at Saratoga Race Course.
Bred by Gainsborough Farm, Music Note is out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Note Musicale (GB). She is a half sister to French classic winner Musical Chimes.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times Today editor