Mucho Macho Man Stakes 2015; Derby Promise Mawthooq

Mucho Macho Man Stakes 2015; Derby Promise Mawthooq: With full steam ahead, the 2015 season begins this weekend with stakes races around the country for three-year-old horses with Kentucky Derby aspirations. The one-mile $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes, formerly the Gulfstream Park Derby, will be contested at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 3, 2015. Although the Mucho Macho Man Stakes does not award Kentucky Derby Trail points, the last two years have produced horses that also entered in the Kentucky Derby; Itsmyluckyday in 2013 and General A Rod in 2014.

The Kentucky Derby is a race that has been somewhat elusive for the trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. In 2014 McLaughlin had a great opportunity with Cairo Prince, but the horse sadly was injured before the first Saturday in May. However, this year McLaughlin has some great horses with Kentucky Derby goals, including Frosted, Imperia, and Mawthooq. Three-year-old Mawthooq is entered in the 2015 Mucho Macho Man Stakes.

Mawthooq is a son Distorted Humor – Ready’s Gal, by More Than Ready. The colt is owned by Shadwell Stables and will be ridden by John Velazquez in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. Mawthooq is a full brother to Machen, a horse who won the Derby Trial G3, and is of the same generation as Mucho Macho Man.

Mawthooq made his debut at Belmont Park on October 11, 2014 in a race over 6-furlongs finishing in second place just seven lengths behind the super speedy Ready for Rye. In his second start at Aqueduct on November 26, 2014, he appreciated the stretch out to one mile and won gate to wire by 10 ½ lengths over a sloppy track. The race was like a paid workout for Mawthooq and McLaughlin.

Mawthooq will face a field of 8 horses in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, including A. Rod Again, a horse who broke his maiden in fashion style at Churchill Downs. Mawthooq will also take on the Florida bred Brother Bobo, and Juan And Bina, who finished second behind the injured prospect Mr. Jordan.

With Distorted Humor and More Than Ready (Southern Halo) in his bloodline, Mawthooq has the pedigree to handle 1 1/8 mile without problems since he has the combination of stamina and speed. The 1 ¼ mile is a mystery that will be deciphered on Derby day if he finally enters in the longed 20 horse field list.

Mucho Macho Man Stakes 2015 Post Position & Odds
Race #10 5:01 PM ET
1 Dekabrist 30-1 Chavez/Dorochenko
2 Ami’s Flatter 15-1 Contreras/Carroll
3 Bluegrass Singer 5-1 Castellano/Vitali
4 A. Rod Again 6-1 Leparoux/Maker
5 Twotwentyfive A 20-1 Rios/Gold
6 Honest 10-1 Lopez/Plesa Jr
7 Juan and Bina 5-2 Prado/Delgado
8 Brother Bobo 9-2 Saez/Servis
9 Mawthooq 2-1 Velazquez/McLaughlin