The summer of RUNHAPPY continued on Monday when Runup romped in the Sorority Stakes for her sire at Monmouth Park.
The Jim McIngvale homebred took the lead early in the one mile dirt race and looked like she was living up to her sire’s name when keeping a strong command. Joseph Ramos asked for a little more from the juvenile as they started their march into the turn and she responded.
The Laura Wohlers trainee was ridden out to the line to win by three lengths with the second and third place horses four lengths ahead of the fourth place finisher.
“She ran a big race,” said Wohlers. “She’s still a little green and she has a lot of improvement to make but she ran a nice race. I really didn’t worry about her trying two turns. She’s one of those fillies that, in the morning, in her gallops or at a clip, she’s still in the bridle at the end. So I really wasn’t worried about the distance.
The winner of two of her three starts, Runup has rewarded “Mattress Mack” for his support of RUNHAPPY with her two wins coming by a combined 9 ¼ lengths. Her dam Up The Street was purchased by McIngvale while carrying this filly and she had another RUNHAPPY filly in April before returning to the stallion for her 2022 foal.
Up The Street is the dam of three winners from five to run and is out of the dual Grade 1 winner and UAE champion Imperial Gesture. That mare is one of two Grace 1 winners for Honor An Offer alongside Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Sardula with others under Runup’s third dam including Grade 1 winner Divine Park and 21 other stakes performers listed on Runup’s page.
The sire of seven stakes performers, including dual Grade 1-placed Following Sea, RUNHAPPY is now the sire of three stakes winners with Runup’s impressive victory.