One thing you could say about Mo Stash's victory in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-olds on Keeneland's opening day April 7—jockey Luis Saez had it stashed away early.
Trainer Vicki Oliver, perhaps thinking back to her colt's inability to hold onto the lead in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) over the same course five months earlier, had expressed some doubt whether Mo Stash could get as far as the 1 1/16 miles of the Transylvania while showing the way.
Mo Stash also had failed to seal the deal in his 3-year-old debut, finishing a fading second after leading in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs March 11.
It wasn't a problem this time around. Mo Stash dropped right over from post 7 and led them on a merry chase, holding off Nagirroc in the late going to win by one length. Webslinger was third and California invader Mi Hermano Ramon finished fourth. Mo Stash finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.05. The Keeneland turf was rated "good" after a rainy opening day eve.
"I just put my hands down and he relaxed," Saez said of the front-running ride. "He's a pretty smart horse ... Last time, at Tampa, he ran a great race. Today he was much better.
"At the top of the turn, he just kept going. He loves the turf. He loves to run here on this turf course and, like I said, Vicki did a great job."
Oliver said the victory opens doors for Mo Stash.
"It's still going to be a question mark about how far he will go," Oliver said after hoisting the trophy above the lush Keeneland greensward. "But today it looked like he just kept going and could go another sixteenth. That might just be his running style. There's a lot of races out there between a mile, mile-and-an-eighth. We'll just have to pick them out as we go."
Flavien Prat offered no apologies for Nagirroc's runner-up finish.
"I had a good trip," Prat said. "It looked like I was going to be the winner turning for home. The horse on the lead never stopped. It was not a crazy-fast pace but I was really close to the lead."
Mo Stash, a Mo Town colt out of the Smart Strike mare Making Mark Money, was bred in Kentucky by Rhineshire Farm and races for BBN Racing. His connections picked up the colt for $130,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Summerfield consignment.
He started his career sprinting on the Ellis Park turf, winning at first asking while going just 5 1/2 furlongs. He hadn't won since that race with his best effort before the Breeders' Cup coming in the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 9, a second-place finish, again going just 5 1/2 furlongs.
Nagirroc, a Lea colt trained by Graham Motion, finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, then was third again in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 30 and returned in the Transylvania.
Webslinger, 11th in the Breeders' Cup, was coming off a close second behind Dude N Colorado in the one-mile Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Dude N Colorado chased the pace in the Transylvania but then faded to finish eighth of 11.
