BY BROCK SHERIDAN

John Ropes’ Dorth Vader, winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Saratoga Race Course in her last start, expects to be a strong force at Monmouth Park Saturday in the $500,000 Molly Pitcher (Grade 3). The 5-year-old mare trained by George Weaver has drawn post five in the field of nine fillies and mares who will race at a mile-and-a-sixteenth.

With career earnings of $893,218, a victory Saturday would push Dorth Vader past seven figures in earnings.

Dorth Vader comes into the Molly Pitcher off nearly five-length victory in the slop going nine-furlongs in the Ogden Phipps under John Velazquez.

 

That was her third start and first win of the year and came after a trouble-layden trip when fourth, just a length-and-a-half behind winner Raging Sea in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 2. That day she was bumped and forced to check hard in the first turn then was caught in tight quarters when she tried to advance in the stretch. On March 29 at Gulfstream Park, she was making her first start in more than 10 months and finished second to Grand Job in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile.

By Girvin out of Hardcore Candy, by Yonaguska, Dorth Vader was bred in Florida by Ropes of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She has five wins with two seconds and a third from 15 starts in her career. This will be her first start at Monmouth Park with previous races at Saratoga, Belmont Park, Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Velasquez, who has ridden Dorth Vader in her last six starts going back to her second-place finish to Pretty Mischievous in the 2023 Acorn (G1) at Belmont, will be aboard again.

Majestic Oops tries for her fourth consecutive win Saturday and second straight at Monmouth having won the $98,000 Lady’s Secret over a sloppy mile-and-a-sixteenth last out on June 14.

The 5-year-old daughter of Majestic Harbor previously won the $200,000 Dig A Diamond going a mile and a first condition allowance racing a mile-and-a-sixteenth, both in April at Oaklawn Park.

Majestic Oops is trained by Dan Ward and has earned $292,775 for owners Medallion Racing, Agave Racing Stable, Evan Trommer, Sublime Stables Inc. and Janet Kropp. She has  seven wins from 29 career starts with 10 seconds and three thirds.

Isaac Castillo will ride Majestic Oops from post four.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send Candied into the Molly Pitcher of a three-length victory in the nine-furlong, $125,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff at Pimlico on May 16. Third in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) won by Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, Candied was third in Gin Gin’s Baird Doubledogdare (G3) gong a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Keeneland on April 18 in her only other race this year.

Candied is the richest among the Molly Pitcher entrants with $1,253,488 in earnings for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay. She seldom finished out of the top three with four wins, two seconds and four thirds in 11 lifetime starts.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (Arg) from the inside post one.

Other fillies and mares entered are Occult, who has no rider named at press time, Randomized with jockey Flavien Prat, no rider has been named on Regaled nor Leslie’s Rose, Javier Castellano has the call on Power Squeeze and Chilled will be guided by Luis Saez.

Return to the July 17 issue of Wire to Wire