Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks made the grade with a last-to-first score under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the $250,000 Manila Stakes (G3T), a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores June 7 at Belmont Park.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the More Than Ready colt closed to win a paceless allowance test last out traveling 1 1/16 miles over firm footing on June 17 at Ellis Park. There was plenty of pace on offer Friday as More Than Looks, who broke a step slow, found his best stride late to make his stakes debut a winning one.
“We have a really nice one here,” said Anthony Bartolo, managing partner of Victory Racing Partners. “We felt going into this race that it was a tough group, but if we had fair fractions to run into, he could run them down. He did a really good job with that and when it (the half-mile) came up in 45 and change, I knew he was going to be coming. It was wonderful. Johnny did a great job.
“This is our first stakes win, let alone graded win, so it’s a real treat,” Bartolo added. “Cherie DeVaux does a fantastic job and I’m thrilled with what she’s done with this horse.”
Talk of the Nation broke alertly under the spring/summer meet’s leading rider Jose Ortiz and set a pressured pace, marking off splits of :22.65 seconds and :45.53 over the firm going with graded stakes winner Nagirroc on his flank.
Talk of the Nation led the field to the turn with Nagirroc pestering and multiple graded stakes winner Major Dude saving ground in third. Talk of the Nation and Nagirroc continued their battle through the turn and deep into the stretch run with neither foe backing off from the challenge. More Than Looks, who saved ground through the turn, angled outside of Major Dude at the top of the lane and swooped outside the frontrunning duo in the final sixteenth to secure a 1 1/2-length win in a final time of 1:33.19.
The 3-year-old banked $137,500 in victory while improving his record to 3-1-0 from five starts and total earnings of $273,935. Talk of the Nation won the place battle by a neck over Nagirroc with Major Dude, Dreaming of Kona , Belouni , and Amstrong rounding out the order of finish. Activist Investing was scratched.
Velazquez said he was prepared for a potentially tough break from the gate.
“Cherie told me he could be difficult and not to push him or touch him. I thought he would have broke a little better, but it didn’t really matter today,” Velazquez said. “He got into a good rhythm by the time we got to the five-eighths pole.”
More Than Looks graduated at second asking on March 31 over the Gulfstream Park synthetic ahead of a rallying runner-up effort in a one-mile Keeneland turf allowance.
“The race at Keeneland, he was way wide again and got nipped at the wire,” Bartolo said. “Then he won at Ellis coming from last, so we felt he belonged in this race if we gave him the opportunity. Now I feel we belong.”
Bartolo said More Than Looks will point to the $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) on Aug. 4 at Saratoga Race Course where he could face another DeVaux trainee in recent Belmont maiden winner Northern Invader .
Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, More Than Looks is out of the stakes-winning Harlan’s Holiday mare Ladies’ Privilege , who is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Takeover Target .
Video: Manila S. (G3T)
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
