Mister Marti Gras downs 'Hops in unruly Washington Park

Mister Marti Gras downs 'Hops in unruly Washington Park

Meanwhile, Workin for Hops was still motoring down the stretch. Disposing of

Burj Alzain, the favorite was 2 1/2 lengths clear through one mile in 1:38 3/5.

Then the closers arrived on the scene to engulf him. Mister Marti Gras was

rushing on the outside, and Maristar was gunning for a seam between him and

Workin for Hops.

As Workin for Hops drifted out in deep stretch, he crossed into the path of

Maristar, closing the seam and forcing her to take up. Mister Marti Gras kept

running straight and true in his lane and nailed Workin for Hops by a neck at

the wire. The troubled Maristar reported home another length back.

The final time for 1 1/8 Polytrack miles was 1:51 3/5, but the race was not

yet official. E.T. Baird, the rider of Maristar, claimed foul against both Perez

on Mister Marti Gras and James Graham aboard Workin for Hops. The stewards

reviewed the stretch drive, found Workin for Hops responsible for the

interference, and accordingly demoted him.

Once cleared by the stewards, Mister Marti Gras returned $16.80, $7 and $3.40

as the 7-1 fourth choice.

"My horse was running straight," Perez said. "I didn't cause the problem.

They told me to stay off the pace and they didn't want me to be too close. I

took my shot pretty good and my horse ran very hard. He handled the Polytrack

fine but he would have won by more on the grass."

"Didn't have a rough trip until the last part of it," Baird said, "but I

think I would have won if I hadn't gotten pinched."

"A very eventful hour," summed up Maristar's trainer Gerard Butler, whose

Pachattack (Pulpit) also just finished second in the Personal Ensign S. (G1) at

Saratoga.

Butler also sent out Burj Alzain, the fourth-place finisher in the Washington

Park. Color Me Blue (Flatter) checked in fifth, followed by Dark Cove (Medaglia

d'Oro), General Quarters and longshot Hoosier Kingdom (Repent).

Tom McCarthy, the owner-trainer of General Quarters, had no immediate

explanation for his runner's subpar effort.

"Jamie (jockey Theriot) said he went from a handful of horse to nothing in

about three strides," McCarthy offered.

Mister Marti Gras increased his earnings to $416,996 from his 17-5-5-1

record, compiled mostly on turf. The chestnut gelding has spent his summer and

fall campaigns with Block. Last year, he captured the Oliver S. at Indiana Downs

and placed in the American Derby (G2) and Hawthorne Derby (G3). Mister Marti

Gras spends the winter and early spring with Neil Pessin, for whom he finished

third in the April 23 Ben Ali S. (G3) in his only prior synthetic attempt. Back

with Block last time, he rallied for second to Tajaaweed (Dynaformer) in the

July 9 Arlington H. (G3). Mister Marti Gras looked like getting his first graded

win when Tajaaweed tested positive, but according to Daily Racing Form,

the winner kept the trophy in his possession because of problems with the

post-race sample.

The Kentucky-bred Mister Marti Gras is out of the multiple stakes-placed Cure

the Blues mare Miss Marta, whose latest foals are an unnamed yearling colt by

Latent Heat and a 2011 filly by Bernstein. This is the family of Grade 2

heroines Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) and Softly (Binalong) as well as Grade 3

winners Til Forbid (Temperence Hill), Just Louise (Five Star Day) and Scoop

(Gone West).