Making his graded stakes debut in the company of four other tough veterans, Chester and Mary Broman’s Mine Over Matter managed to overcame a bad stumble at the start to finish third in Aqueduct’s traditional Thanksgiving Day feature, the Grade 3, $150,000 Fall Highweight Handicap.
Unbalanced as he broke from post four for the six-furlong dash and stumbling to his right, Mine Over Matter, collected himself at the rail under jockey John Velazquez while racing in fifth, as This Ones for Phil clocked a blistering first quarter in 22.57, chased by Repole Stable’s Caixa Eletronica. Willy Beamin tracked in third in the three path.
Mine Over Matter moved up into fourth going into the turn, then captured third at the quarter pole while This Ones for Phil completed the half in 44.84.
In the final sixteenth, Caixa Eletronica, toting the 133-pound co-highweight, overtook the pacesetter before kicking away to a four-length victory in 1:08.69. Mine Over Matter finished 4 1/2 lengths behind This Ones for Phil. Small Town Talk and Willy Beamin completed the order of finish.
Five-year-old Mine Over Matter has spent 2012 under the care of Mike Hushion, who took over training duties upon the retirement of trainer Ramon “Mike” Hernandez last December at age 86.
Winner of Aqueduct’s Fabersham Stakes with a last-to-first run in the slop on April 22 in his second 2012 start, Mine Over Matter captured the Hudson Stakes on Showcase Day, overtaking odds-on favorite Saginaw.
Also this year, the chestnut has collected a pair of third-place finishes in the Affirmed Success at Belmont and John Morrissey at Saratoga. In 2010, he scored a victory in the Salute Me Sir and in 2010-2011 placed in five additional state-bred stakes. Mine Over Matter’s record now stands at 6-3-10 from 35 starts with a robust $383,184 in earnings.
Mine Over Matter’s dam is Hansel’s Girl, a Grade 2-placed five-time winner by Hansel (Woodman) purchased by Chestertown Farm in 1996 as a Keeneland September yearling for $80,000.
After earning $237,980 for the Bromans on the racetrack, Hansel’s Girl has had a productive career as a broodmare, with four winners from four starters including two more stakes horses – Chestertown Slew, by Seattle Slew ($171,826), and Motor Patrol by Cherokee Run ($148,633). Hansel’s Girl currently has a yearling filly by New York sire Noonmark.
