Joseph's Vindication: My Miss Mo Captures Black-Eyed Susan After Oaks Withdrawal
LAUREL, Md. – Saffie Joseph Jr. and the My Miss Mo connections found validation and joy in Friday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes victory at Laurel Park, proving their decision to bypass the Kentucky Oaks was justified.
The Uncle Mo filly overcame an awkward start from the outside post to defeat Jumping the Gun by 1¾ lengths, with A.P.’s Girl finishing another length back in third. Tyler Gaffalione guided the winner through the 1⅛-mile test in 1:52.15, returning $7 as the favorite in the nine-horse field.
Veterinary Controversy Background
Joseph’s decision to scratch My Miss Mo from the May 1 Kentucky Oaks stemmed from concerns raised by Kentucky regulatory veterinarians about the filly’s soundness. The trainer disagreed with their assessment and opted for a voluntary scratch rather than risk a veterinary scratch that would have prevented Friday’s start.
“They did have a question mark. They wanted us to do PET scans and all that kind of stuff. They tricked me with a PET scan before, so I wasn’t going to do that,” Joseph explained. “We took X-rays, and the X-rays were fine and the horse was fine. The horse had a work, she came out of the breeze well, everything went well. She was obviously good to run today, correct?”
The trainer referenced his November Breeders’ Cup experience when White Abarrio was scratched by regulatory veterinarians minutes before the Dirt Mile while warming up. That horse subsequently finished second in January’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup and won last month’s Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, defeating Triple Crown winners Sovereignty and Journalism.
Ownership Communication
Joseph trains My Miss Mo for Rich Averill, Bill and Terry Mathis, and Tristan De Meric. He recalled the difficult conversation about withdrawing from the Oaks.
“I told the owners, ‘I’ve been through this already. I understand it very good. We’re going to take this filly out,'” Joseph said. “Rich, it was obviously his first Oaks, so it was harder to tell him than [the Mathises], but he understood it. We took her out and it worked out for the best. Today proved it – she’s a Grade 2 winner. Would she have won the Oaks? Probably not. We’re going to enjoy this as much as the Oaks.”
Race Development
My Miss Mo broke slightly right from the gate before Gaffalione quickly positioned her behind pacesetter Savor It through a moderate half-mile in :49.10. The filly advanced to challenge approaching the three-eighths pole, where Jumping the Gun and Luis Saez mounted their bid from the outside.
Jumping the Gun briefly gained a narrow advantage at the five-sixteenths pole, but My Miss Mo responded when asked, drawing clear through the stretch for a decisive victory.
“Going down the backside, I kept having to take a [hold]. She was wanting to get going a little bit, but she was doing it very easy, so I tried to sit on her as long as I could,” Gaffalione reported. “She was traveling beautifully, so I just let her be. As soon as I called on her at the eighth pole, she found another gear.”
Double Stakes Success
The Black-Eyed Susan victory came approximately 40 minutes after Joseph captured the Grade 3 Pimlico Special with Navajo Warrior, completing a stakes double on the Preakness undercard.
Industry Perspective
Joseph acknowledged the challenges facing regulatory veterinarians while advocating for improved communication and procedures.
“You see some of these articles – ‘the vet scratches aren’t running back’ – that’s like shoving it down our throats. Don’t do that to the trainers. They don’t appreciate it because you’re not analyzing the data correctly,” Joseph stated. “That’s not the right way to do it. I want change for the better, and I think change for the better is when you have dialogue, and I think it’s going to happen.”
Future Plans
Joseph indicated My Miss Mo would likely bypass Saratoga’s Acorn Stakes in favor of the Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park on June 13, where a rematch with Jumping the Gun looms.
Andrew Simoff, who trains the Delaware-based Jumping the Gun, expressed mixed feelings about the runner-up effort. “She ran good. Turning for home, I thought I had it. She just hung that last sixteenth a little, but she’ll do that, you know. I was talking to Luis [Saez] and he said maybe wait a little longer, don’t make the lead at the quarter pole.”
Final Order
The complete order of finish: My Miss Mo, Jumping the Gun, A.P.’s Girl, Majestic Lucia, Miss Fulton Gal, Holly’s Holiday, Braken Popa, Ivy Girl, and Savor It. Haute Diva was scratched from the original field.
