Reluctant starter Morning Line rolls to a magnificent win in the Mervyn Leroy Handicap
Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s Morning Line was feisty before the Grade 2, $150,000 Mervyn Leroy Handicap and the gate crew never looked like stuffing him in the gate, but once he did, the son of Tiznow was awesome on the track as he led Prayer for Relief all through the track and finally downed him by half a length on 5 May, 2012, at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Trained by John A. Shirreffs, Morning Line made his first ever start at Hollywood Park, and the way behaved prior to the race, he reminded much of his sire, Tiznow, who was too was handful before the race.
Jockey Joe Talamo, who has experienced the horse’s antic in the workouts as well, was onboard about a furlong from the gate, and that’s where Morning Line started to misbehave and go in the opposite direction.
Talamo had to be dismounted to get Morning Line into the gate, hence delaying the start for several minutes.
Once in the gate, Morning Line broke swiftly and assumed the leader’s position, and from then on he dictated the pace and proved troublesome for his opponents in the Mervyn Leroy Handicap.
The winner of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap last year, out of A. P. Indy mare Indian Snow, Morning Line came off an eight month layoff, exiting an 11th place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap last year August.
After winning the Mervyn Leroy, the Kentucky bred by Dell Ridge Farm Morning Line has out himself among the favourites to win the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup after his victory in the Mervyn Leroy.
"That's just him," he said. "You have to just be patient with him. It's hard to really whip on him much because he's an old horse and he knows what he's doing. But he's so professional in the race.
"I really didn't think he'd be in front but he was absolutely cruising the first part," Talamo added. "He got right to the lead and put his ears up. It made my job a lot easier. The only hard part was getting him to the gate. Once I got off him (in the post parade), he was a lot better."
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