Grammy Girl managed to overcome Take the Money Honey’s early speed advantage and won by a head in the $100,000 Willa on the Move race at Laurel Park on Saturday. This race highlighted the contrast in recent activity between the two competitors, which may have played a crucial role in the outcome.
Grammy Girl had raced just nine days earlier, finishing second in the Suidobashi, showing strong form, while Take the Money Honey was coming off a long layoff since his May 11 victory in the Serena’s Song Stakes at Monmouth. Guided by jockey Michelle Sanchez and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Grammy Girl warmed up vigorously and secured a good inside position after Miss Harriet led the early pace.
Miss Harriet set solid fractions of 22.25 seconds and 46.00 seconds before Take the Money Honey made a move three-wide entering the turn, with Sanchez steering Grammy Girl along the rail. Despite Take the Money Honey’s strong stretch effort, Grammy Girl held on to win the 6-furlong race in 1:18.56, paying $6.80 to win.
Miss Harriet faded to third, 7 1/4 lengths behind, with St. Benedict Prep and Beilingin rounding out the top five. Other runners included Onyx Ten, Sartorie Las, Wisconsin Gal, Spensian, Gallop d’Hermes, Passage East, and Alani Scratch.
Sanchez shared her strategy: “I wanted my horse to be gentle and sharp, and she was. We got great breaks and I was confident in my position all the way. Getting to the rail helped us a lot and once out of the hole, the race was really fun.”
Grammy Girl, a 4-year-old daughter of Mastery, was bred in Kentucky by Stephen and Brandi Nicholson. She was bought for $25,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Easter Fall Yearling Sale and started her career with trainer Horacio de Paz before moving to Joseph’s barn this summer.
Her dam, Song Girl, is by Songandaprayer and is a half-sister to Classic Empire, a multiple Grade 1 winner and 2016 champion who finished second in the 2017 Preakness Stakes.
Joseph commented on Grammy Girl’s progress, saying, “She returned quickly and has good pedigree on the dam’s side. We aimed to get her to win stakes, and she accomplished that. We struggled to get her to run in Florida, but after returning to New York, she really showed improvement.”
Owned by Red Storm, Miller Racing, and Flower Power stables, Grammy Girl has won five of her 18 starts and earned $286,050.
Fan Take: Grammy Girl’s victory is a testament to the importance of recent race experience and smart training decisions, proving that horses returning in good form can outperform more rested but less sharp competitors. For horse racing fans, this win highlights the excitement of tactical racing and the thrill of close finishes, keeping the sport vibrant and unpredictable.
