Invading Humor sizzles in Mount Vernon

Monday, May 25th, 2015

by Bill Heller

Benefitting from a blistering pace in front of her and a brilliant ride by Rajiv Maragh, Bloodlines Racing Partnership’s five-year-old mare Invading Humor won the 37^th running of the one-mile $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes on grass at Belmont Park on all-New York-bred Showcase Day, Memorial Day Monday, by two lengths.

Sent off at 7-2 in the field of seven in an extremely even betting race, Invading Humor won in a sizzling 1:32.87, not that far off the Widener Course track record for one mile, 1:31.63, set by Elusive Quality on July 4^th, 1998. Three hours after Invading Humor’s victory, millionaire Lubash won the Kingston Stakes at the same distance in 1:33.07, and he’s one of the best New York-bred turf horses of the last decade.

Bruce Levine trains Invading Humor, a daughter of Invasor out of Very Funny by Distorted Humor who was bred by Dr. James Mcglinn.

Invading Humor was making her first start since Nov. 8^th when she set the pace and tired badly to ninth in the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct. She showed five workouts for her return, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 at Aqueduct May 2^nd.

“She was pretty fit,” Levine said. “I knew she was running a mile and we had this planned for a while. I don’t think she needed one, but a race will help. She’s easy to train. Rajiv gave her a great ride, saved ground and they (the others) went after her (Laura Can Disco) and did the dirty work. I thought we would have to do that.”

Bettors respected Invading Humor, but also her rivals with all seven starters going off at single-digit odds. Old Harbor, who hadn’t raced since Oct. 18^th, went off the 5-2 favorite on the rail under Manual Franco. Invading Humor was the second choice at 7-2, followed by Laura Can Disco at 9-2 and both Unbelievable Dream and Mah Jong Maddnes, who won this stakes last year, at 5-1. Both Chrysolite and Lady Kreesa were 8-1.

Laura Can Disco, who had won both of her previous turf tries, broke sharply out of the outside post under Cornelio Velasquez and went right for the lead. But Old Harbor protected her rail position and made Laura Can Disco work to take a half-length lead on the outside in a first quarter in :22.43. Lady Kreesa was a three-wide close third under Javier Castellano and Invading Humor raced in fourth.

Laura Can Disco inched her lead out to three-quarters of a length over Old Harbor in a testing :45.22 half-mile. Lady Kreesa was a clear third. Invading Humor was fourth on the rail and Mah Jong Maddnes fifth on the outside.

Laura Can Disco finally cleared Old Harbor for the lead but had nothing left and was quickly passed by Old Harbor two-wide and Mah Jong Maddnes three-wide around the far turn.

Maragh kept Invading Humor on the rail and when Laura Can Disco tired, he shot Invading Humor to the lead while Mah Jong Maddnes advanced into second on the far outside. Invading Humor spurted clear and won comfortably. Mah Jong Maddnes was second, a half-length ahead of Old Harbor. Lady Kreesa finished fourth, a length behind Old Harbor.

“She settled in nice and she showed a big strong finish at the end,” Maragh said of the winner. “Originally, I was planning to track the leader, but when I got out of the gate and saw that they were going a little fast, I adjusted a little bit. We sat off and she was comfortable where she was, so I was pretty happy with that. And then it set us up really good for the late run.”

Invading Humor now has six wins, one second and one third from 12 turf starts. She also has one win from three dirt starts with combined earnings of just under $380,000.

Posted in: RACING