Mo Forza wins Del Mar Mile

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Mo Forza, who is stabled at the San Luis Rey Training Center when he is not at the track where he is racing, won the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile stakes Aug. 21 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

The Del Mar Mile was a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward. Mo Forza did not lead until overtaking Smooth Like Strait in the stretch. Mo Forza won by a head over Smooth Like Strait, who finished a length in front of third-place Hit the Road. The winning time was 1:35.03.

"Very proud of him," said trainer Peter Miller.

Mo Forza had won six of his 12 previous career races including the 2020 Del Mar Mile. He followed that with a victory in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile stakes race at Santa Anita Park, and after that Miller gave him a layoff. Although Mo Forza didn't race between Oct. 3 and Aug. 21, he had nine timed workouts at San Luis Rey between June 19 and Aug. 14.

Racing after 10 months off would be a test of Mo Forza's fitness. "That was really my worry," Miller said.

Flavien Prat, who was Mo Forza's jockey when they won the 2020 Del Mar Mile by 4 1/4 lengths, rode Mo Forza for this year's Del Mar Mile.

"He did it last year and he did it again this year, so all the credit goes to the trainer," Prat said.

After San Luis Rey gelding Next Shares was scratched by trainer Richard Baltas the Del Mar Mile had five horses. One of the other horses, Neptune's Storm, is also trained by Miller and was ridden by Juan Hernandez.

Neptune's Storm and Hernandez broke first and led for the first three-quarters of a mile. Smooth Like Strait broke second and was second until passing Neptune's Storm for the lead as the horses approached the stretch. Hit the Road broke third and was in third into the stretch. Mo Forza and Prat broke fourth and remained in that position until the stretch.

"He broke well and then relaxed nicely for me," Prat said.

Smooth Like Strait entered the stretch 1:23.56 into the race. He held a head lead over Neptune's Storm, who was 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Hit the Road. Mo Forza was half a length in back of Hit The Road and two lengths behind Smooth Like Strait.

"He really responded when I asked him to run, and we were in a sprint from the eighth mile pole home," Prat said.

"I'm just glad I had him fit enough. Just enough," Miller said.

"He's a really special horse, and he just gutted it out," Miller said. "He had enough to get it done."

Hit the Road edged Neptune's Storm by a half a length.

Mo Forza was sired by Uncle Mo out of Inflamed and foaled in Kentucky on April 5, 2016. He first raced at Santa Anita in June 2019.

"I've never had a horse that just fought with so much emotion," Miller said. "He's just all heart."

The Del Mar Mile had a total purse of $300,000, and first place was worth $180,000 to bring Mo Forza's career earnings to $914,460.

"I couldn't be more proud of the crew," Miller said.

Miller plans to have Mo Forza race in the Breeders' Cup, which this year will be at Del Mar, but Mo Forza may race at Santa Anita first. "I think he probably would benefit from another race," Miller said.