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Morning Line stays on strongly in Carter
"I had a very good trip," Velazquez said. "Everything went pretty much the way we hoped it would. He has a hard time getting around the turns, but once he's down in the lane, he'll give you another gear. He finished up very well." Apriority finished a clear second by 1 1/4 lengths from Yawanna Twist, who grabbed third by a neck from Kensei (Mr. Greeley). "He ran huge," trainer David Fawkes said of Apriority. "He chased the speed and did a lot of work early. I'm happy with his performance, just disappointed we didn't win." Laysh Laysh Laysh (Whywhywhy) closed for fifth, and Sunrise Smarty, Fastus Cactus (Cactus Ridge) and More Than a Reason (More Than Ready) rounded out the order of finish. Be Bullish (Pure Prize) and Independence War (Red Bullet) joined Calibrachoa and Have You Ever on the scratch list. Morning Line was making his first start at less than a mile since his career debut as a juvenile, where he finished fourth in a six-furlong maiden here at Aqueduct. The dark bay thrived over a route of ground at three. After an 11-length allowance romp going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga last August, he battled to a neck victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) at that same distance. Morning Line shortened up to a one-turn mile in the November 6 Breeders' Cup, dueled through a ferocious pace, opened up, and was just caught late by the 37-1 Dakota Phone (Zavata). Reappearing with a third as the even-money favorite in the Hal's Hope (G3) at Gulfstream, over a similar one-turn mile, he next stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in the Donn H. (G1) on February 5, and finished second to the rallying Giant Oak (Giant's Causeway). Morning Line's first Grade 1 laurel improved his record to 10-4-4-1 while catapulting him into millionaires' row with $1,114,800. "Amazing," Zito enthused. "I'm very grateful. I'm very happy for the horse. He's lost some tough ones -- the Breeders' Cup Mile was a heartbreaker. The Donn was a heartbreaker. He's such a well-deserving Grade 1 horse. He beat a top horse in (Apriority). It was a great run race. He did what a professional horse is supposed to do. He's just a very versatile horse. He'll probably run any distance." A $700,000 Keeneland September yearling, Morning Line was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm and was produced from the unraced Indian Snow (A.P. Indy). That makes him a half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed Brady Baby (Gone West), a juvenile colt by Roman Ruler and a yearling filly by Empire Maker. Morning Line's second dam is November Snow (Storm Cat), the 1992 Alabama S. (G1) and Test S. (G1) winner and full sister to Grade 3 winner Scatmandu. Prior to the Carter, Zito had mentioned that the May 30 Metropolitan H. (G1) at Belmont Park could be next for Morning Line. But the Hall of Famer wasn't minimizing the importance of the 111th running of the Carter as just a prep. "Come on -- it's the Carter," Zito said.
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