BY BROCK SHERIDAN
APRIL 4, 2009—Florida-bred Hooh Why and jockey Corey Lanerie upset odds-on favorite Stardom Bound and seven other 3-year-old fillies with a wire-to-wire victory in the $400,000 Ashland Stakes (Grade 1) at Keeneland. Let go at 24-1 despite being multiple stakes-placed and in the top three in eight of nine previous starts, Hooh Why paid $50 to win going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the all-weather track.
Hooh Why was making her first start for trainer Donna Dupuy since winning a maiden special weight for the trainer in her first out on the Arlington Park synthetic in July of 2008. Prior to the Ashland, Hooh Why had traveled from Carla Gaines’ barn in Southern California where she had just finished third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks won by Stardom Bound on the synthetic main track on March 7.
The Santa Anita Oaks had been the fifth straight win for Stardom Bound, the 2008 champion 2-year-old filly and Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner, and trainer Richard Dutrow Jr was going for number six.
But Hooh Why got the jump on Stardom Bound in the Ashland, getting out fastest from post seven to navigate a ground-saving trip around the clubhouse turn. Lanerie masterfully took Hooh Why through a relaxing half mile in :45.58 while a length ahead Florida-bred Be Fair in second as Stardom Bound and jockey Mike Smith raced three lengths back in fourth.
Hooh Why stretched her advantage to a length-and-a-half in mid-stretch before Gozzip Girl, winner of the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park in her previous start, came on from seventh inside the final furlong. Meanwhile Stardom Bound was making only mild improvement to get past a tenacious Be Fair.
Hooh Why prevailed to win by neck ahead of Gozzip Girl in second while Stardom Bound finished two-and-three-quarters farther back in third. Be Fair was three-quarters of length off Stardom Bound in fourth. The final time was 1:43.80.
Hooh Why was owned by breeder Gail Gee’s Derby Daze Farm in partnership with Mark T. Hoffman and produced her first stakes victory in the Ashland.
As a 2-year-old, she was third in the Glorious Song (Listed) and second in the Display (Listed) at Woodbine when trained by Michael Reavis and third in the $65,000 Sandpiper at Tampa Bay Downs from the barn of Kathy Guciardo. Hooh Why had started her sophomore year for Gaines, finishing second to Beltene in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks at Gulfstream before shipping to California for the Santa Anita Oaks.
Later in 2009, she won the $168,000 La Lorgnett at Woodbine and was third in both the Double Delta at Arlington Park and Grade 3 Selene at Woodbine.
Hooh Why retired in 2013 with earnings of $1,244,809 from 12 wins, 14 seconds and nine thirds in 54 starts. Her stakes wins included the Grade 3 Seaway at Woodbine in 2010, the $61,000 Illinois Owners Stakes in 2011, the $150,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf in 2012 and twice the $75,000 Distaff Turf on the 2012 and 2013 Florida Cup cards at Tampa Bay Downs.
Hooh Why was by Cloud Hopping out of the Corporate Report mare Magic Merger, who Gee had purchased privately in Arkansas.
“She was the first broodmare I bought with intentions to raise a racehorse,” Gee was quoted as saying in Blood-Horse. “My reproduction veterinarian, Dr. Philip Matthews, owned shares in Cloud Hopping and he offered them to me complimentary.”
The resulting foal was Florida-bred Rumbling Cloud, Hooh Why’s full brother and winner of the 2008 Woodstock Stakes (Listed) at Woodbine for Veronica Attard, wife of trainer Sid Attard. Magic Merger produced six winners from eight starters and 11 foals including stakes-placed Florida-bred D’wild Beach with D’wildcat, also bred by Gee.
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