Ask the Moon predicted fit for the Ruffian Invitational, as the 6-year-old proves trainer Martin Wolfson right
Initially Martin Wolfson trained 6-year-old mare, Ask the Moon, got entered for two races, the $100,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Grade 1 $250,000 Ruffian Invitational at Saratoga on 31 July, 2011.
It was Martin’s instinct rather that made him choose the Ruffian Invitational over the listed race and, his instincts proved to be the winner as the 18 to 1 long shot wired the Ruffian Invitational in fine style.
He thought that the Ruffian Invitational was best suited for his 6-year-old mare, as she under jockey Javier Castellano drew clear of her rivals to win the 1 mile and 1 furlong event by a massive margin of 5 ¾ lengths.
It was all planned out from the beginning, Martin Wolfson just didn’t predict the right race for her mare, but also knew how to win it. The trainer of such caliber every now and then can read his opponents to perfection.
The plan was to shot Ask the Moon out in to the lead early in the race, Javier Castellano did exactly that and remained in the lead despite setting an early blistering pace, the mare ran nicely to a 5 ¾ length victory.
Super Espresso, the 4-year-old brown filly finished second, but she never looked in contention to win the race as she ran past Tiz Miz Sue after a hard rally and, managed a win over the Steve Hobby trained Tiz Miz Sue by a neck.
The 4-year-old bay filly, Tiz Miz Sue roused by jockey J Rocco Jr. finished 3rd but go demoted to 4th because the stewards disqualified her for interfering with Payton d’Oro in the upper stretch.
Ask the Moon is the daughter of Malibu Moon, out of Always Asking by Valid Appeal, she is owned by Farnsworth Stables LLC. The mare got back to winning ways after a long drought of two years.
She won her last race back in 2009, the Lighthouse Stakes at Monmouth Park dirt course on 21 June, 2009 under jockey J Bravo. The mare, then, 4-years-old clocked an impressive time of 1 minute 44.19 seconds over at a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
She has been a little unlucky with her wins because since the 2009 win she has finished on the cards seven times out of nine starts, with twice finishing second and five times finishing third.
The initial speed set by Ask the Moon backed off Dynazaper and Absinthe Minded, and Javier Castellano was strictly under Martin Wolfson’s instructions to send the filly in front to exactly cause the drawback.
Ask the Moon clocked the distance of 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute and 50.46 seconds.
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