NYRA/Chelsea Durand
by Sarah Mace
At longshot odds of 20-1, catchily-named Wilburnmoney (Wilburn) delivered a strong gate-to-wire performance Sunday to upset a robust 10-horse field in the third running of the $100,000 Franklin Square sprint stakes for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct.
Drawn in the outside post, Wilburnmoney broke on top under Angel Arroyo, then settled in fourth, a couple lengths off the pace set by Bluegrass Flag (7-2), who moved aggressively from post two and established a one-length lead over favorite Maple Mo through an opening quarter in 22.67.
Cruising down the backstretch five wide, Wilburnmoney worked her way closer to the fence through the turn, and swept into contention three-wide deep after a half mile in 46.46.
Wilburnmoney took over the lead in upper stretch and even though Bluegrass Flag battled back gamely at the rail, Wilburnmoney was just too good and ultimately drew off to record her first stakes victory by two lengths in a final time of 1:11.88.
Nearly six lengths back Luna Rising won the photo for show, nosing out Overnegotiate in fourth. Completing the order of finish were Toni Tools, Maple Mo, Bertranda, Passporttovictory, Out of Trouble and Treatherlikestar. Wilburnmoney paid $42.80 for a $2 win bet. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Jockey Angel Arroyo reported, “She broke great. I got the best trip. In the final stretch at the eighth-pole l knew I had horse and she rallied all the way to the finish. This filly today ran really good. She wanted to run today and it was really easy.”
Gary Gullo, who conditions Wilburnmoney for Bob Peterson’s Stables, LLC and Frank Bellavia, said he told Arroyo “to get her on the bit a little bit early on and just use your own judgment.”
Wilburnmoney won her Belmont unveiling last June 16 by two lengths, following up the maiden score a month later with a runner-up finish behind runaway winner Miss Freeze in the Lynbrook Stakes. Following a pair of off the board finishes in stakes company in August and November, she came back after a brief freshening to run a solid third in first-level state-bred allowance in her inner track debut on January 15.
“I thought she ran great,” commented Gullo after the Franklin Square. “She was coming into the race very good. She’s had a few issues with heat and the second time and third time she ran, it was very hot out and she didn’t run that well but today she ran good. I’ve always liked this filly.”
Bred by Clark Brewster and foaled at Questroyal Stud in Stillwater, Wilburnmoney is the second foal, and second winner of two to start, out of Lady in the Money, a six-figure-earning Virginia-bred purchase by Brewster for $32,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.
Wilburnmoney changed hands twice via public auction, selling as a weanling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Fall mixed sale for $26,000 to Palermo Farm, then going to Anthony Melfi for $70,000 at the New York-bred preferred yearling sale in Saratoga in 2015.
Lady in the Money has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Boys At Tosconova, a yearling colt by Courageous Cat and was bred in 2016 to Magna Graduate.
