Mo Town Filly Catches Eye in Ruthless Romp
It was another weekend with a stakes winner for Mo Town on Saturday when Volleyballprincess (3f Mo Town x Prom Dress, by Stephen Got Even) won the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct.
Coming into the seven furlong dirt race after a third in the Parx Future Stars Filly Division Stakes last out, the filly jumped straight to the lead from the start. She kept that position despite plenty of pressure early on from Hollywood Beauty, but halfway through the race put that rival away.
Leading comfortably around the turn, Volleyballprincess showed that no crop was needed when her rider lost it with just over a furlong left to run. At that point, Volleyballprincess was eight lengths in front and added another two lengths to her margin for a 10-length victory in the end.
“My horse broke really good today. I trusted in her all the way. She broke and she bites the bit easily when in front on the lead. She gave me her all and she won a stake by a lot. She knew it was a stakes,” said jockey Eliseo Ruiz.
Trained by Louis Linder Jr for Bran Jam Stable and David Clark, Volleyballprincess has now won two of her three career starts for $106,050 in earnings.
“She’s maturing every day. She’s always showed us she has talent, and she showed it today,” said Linder.
The Dr. Frank Batten-bred is out of the winning Stephen Got Even mare Prom Dress, who has produced three winners from three to race including nine-time winner Ima Daredevil. The mare is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed Mariakel, and pout of a stakes placed half-sister to stakes winners Poncho Duck and Stackhouse.
This is the 13th Northern Hemisphere foaled stakes winner for Mo Town, who is also striking at 11.6% stakes performers to runners with his first three crops aged three or older. He leads all fourth crop sires by stakes performers and stakes winners in 2025 as well.