Photo: Barbara Livingston for the DRF
By Sarah Mace
Clipthecouponannie (Uncle Mo) aced her first off-track test when she stalked her way to victory in Pimlico’s $100,000 Skipat Stakes on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan card. This was the Repole Stable homebred’s first open stakes victory and second career stakes tally.
After opening her account by reeling off three straight wins, the series culminating in a gritty triumph in the Franklin Square Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies in February 2016, Clipthecouponannie has had a stop-start career.
The undefeated bay filly spent most of the remainder of 2016 on the bench, only returning in December for a fourth trip to the winner’s circle after a Gulfstream Park allowance. She then had another break of nearly four months. Clipthecouponannie returned this time to finish a solid third in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Distaff H. three-time graded stakes winner Highway Star.
The talented filly had several advantages her corner for the Skipat. In addition to getting the chance to put together back-to-back races, she cut back to her favored distance of six furlongs and, as a blessing in disguise, drew the outside post of seven, which would prove to be an advantage after a downpour four races earlier during the Jim McKay Turf Sprint downgraded the condition of the racetrack track from “fast” to “sloppy (sealed).”
Sent off as the 7-5 favorite, Clipthecouponannie set up in second position, a measured length behind pacesetter and 5-2 second choice Chanteline, who led the field along the backstretch and around the turn through sharp early fractions of 22.98 and 46.02.
Drawing nearly even with the frontrunner in the bend, Clipthecouponannie engaged Chanteline in upper stretch. After she managed to get a head in front, Clipthecouponannie improved her advantage in the final furlong, driving to the wire for a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:10.93.
Summer Reading advanced from third to get the place, and Sweet on Smokey rallied from the rear to collect third money. Completing the order of finish were Chanteline, Loveable Lady, Stormy Sky and Disco Chick. New York-bred Charlie Baker-trainee Absatootly was scratched, along with Pleasant Tales.
“It was perfect,” said jockey John Velazquez. “She got a good position sitting right off the speed and she accelerated very well. It was her first time on a wet track and she loved it.”
Pleased with the way his charged handled the conditions in her first race over off-going, trainer Todd Pletcher said, “I was a little concerned when it rained, only because she had never run on an off track. But we felt that with her pedigree she would handle it. Uncle Mo won the Kelso won impressively in slop.”
Continued Pletcher, “I talked to Johnny before and we liked the fact that we drew a favorable post [outside] for these type[s] of conditions. She’s been a good filly away from the gate. We wanted to get her away alertly and put her in a favorable position. She did that very well and I could tell that Johnny was riding her very confidently. It looked like when he asked her that she responded the way we hoped she would.”
Foaled at Vinery Sugar Maple in Poughquag, Clipthecouponannie is the first foal out of Mike Repole’s multiple stakes-winning New York-bred mare Lights Off Annie, who was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Powers and earned over $200,000. Lights Off Annie and Clipthecouponannie are both named in honor of Repole’s mother’s, whom the Repole family teased for her frugal habits.
Lights Off Annie has an unraced 3-year-old colt by Stay Thirsty, a juvenile colt by Overanalyze and a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. She was bred back to Uncle Mo in 2016.
