Racing Dudes Three Stars of the Week: East Coast Turf Stars Invade the West Coast

The Thanksgiving holiday brought the return of great racing! Solid cards from Churchill Downs, Aqueduct, and Del Mar highlighted the extended weekend of action. We saw several great performances (check out our Results page for every race at every track), so let’s take a look at our Three Stars of the Week:

1. Mo Town

Who would have thought that a move to the turf would turn Mo Town into the star that we thought he was going to be earlier in the year? After struggling on the dirt all season, Mo Town switched to the turf two races back and hasn’t looked back. He won his turf debut by over 6 lengths in an allowance race, then made it two in a row with a win in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Mo Town broke a bit slow leaving the gate but patiently waited towards the back of the pack before making a big move turning for home, winning by a length. There will be plenty of turf races on the east coast for him now, and he should be very good on the surface as a 4-year-old.

2. Seeking the Soul

This is could be an up-and-coming horse to watch out for in the handicap division. After impressing in an allowance race at Keeneland two back, Seeking the Soul took it much further with an impressive win in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap last Friday. Seeking the Soul stayed towards the outside while traveling in mid pack, then made a long drive down the lane to prevail by a 1/2-length in the end. With the win, the Pegasus World Cup now becomes a major goal for his connections. Other than Gun Runner, that race looks to be wide open, so Seeking the Soul could be a legitimate player.

3. Off Limits

Let’s face it, the east coast dominated the west coast at Del Mar over the holiday weekend. Mo Town took home the Hollywood Derby, then on Sunday, Off Limits prevailed in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes. Joel Rosario gave a brilliant ride, while trainer Chad Brown made it two races in a row between the Matriarch and the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes. Stuck towards the back and on the inside, Off Limits looked to be in trouble but weaved her way through the field in a ground-saving trip to pick up a 1-length win. She is deadly at a mile and will be set up for a big 2018 with plenty of options on the table.