BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred My Miss Mo drew post six for the 152nd running of the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, the premier race for 3-year-old fillies in North America to be run at Churchill Downs on Friday. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Rich Averill of Bradenton, Florida and his Averill Racing; Bill and Terry Mathis and their Mathis Stable based in Oklahoma City; and Tristan de Meric of Ocala, Florida, My Miss Mo is one of 14 fillies that will go a mile-and-an-eighth in the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks. She will be ridden for the first time by Micah Husbands and is 20-1 on the morning line. There are three additional fillies on the list of also eligibles.

“Yes we are very happy,” Averill said of getting post six. “It got down towards the end [of the draw] and six and 10 were really the only good spots left and obviously, I was very happy with six. A buddy of mine asked me what [post] I wanted, three to seven and said I wanted somewhere between four and nine. We’re in the middle of those so I’m very happy.”

My Miss Mo, who arrived at Churchill Downs early Saturday morning from Joseph’s base in South Florida, has been second in her last two races, finishing behind Prom Queen after setting the pace in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream Park on March 28. Prom Queen has drawn post 10 and is 8-1 on the morning line for the Oaks.

Two starts back My Miss Mo was second to She Be Smooth in the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream on February 28.

My Miss Mo is by Uncle Mo out of In a Dream, by Quality Road and was bred in Florida by Valerie Mastromaonaco, Tristan de Meric and the Uncle Mo Syndicate. She has one-win, a 12-length romp against special weight maiden fillies at Gulfstream in November, in five starts with three seconds. She has earned $148,030.

“I haven’t had a chance to really look at all the horses together, but she’ll be forwardly placed in the top three or four,” Averill said. “I don’t think the distance is going to be an issue. I think she’s gotten better with age. She’s gotten better with the distances. She’s an April foal, so she’s just officially now 3-year-olds. 

“She shipped in this morning and she’s doing good. Hopefully, we get a good trip and everyone comes out healthy.”

Her last work was a half-mile breeze in :48.67 at Gulfstream on Wednesday.

“She worked very well,” Joseph said. Joseph plans to arrive at Churchill Downs Sunday.

Averill also reported that he, co-owner ATM Racing (Anthony Mattera of Palm City, Florida) and Joseph have decided to enter R Disaster, the recently crowned Florida-bred champion older female and champion female sprinter of 2025, in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Ford. R Disaster has drawn the outside post six in the seven-furlong test for fillies and mares set for the Kentucky Derby undercard on Saturday.

“I don’t know if we’re going to run or not,” Averill said. “We entered her and we’ll see how the race looks for us. Her next race is going to be up north anyway. So she’ll probably ship to Kentucky on Sunday with some other horses for Saffie.”

In two starts this year, the multiple graded stakes-winning R Disaster won the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream on March 7 and finished out of the top two for the first time in 15 career starts when third in the Grade 1 Resolute Racing Madison at Keeneland on April 4.

She has a first and a second in two previous starts at Churchill. She won an $80,000 claiming race under the Twin Spires in her third career start in September of 2024 and was second in the $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed) three starts back on November 8.

The 5-year-old daughter of Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew.

Return to the April 25 issue of Wire to Wire