Mopo Racing's Mopo made a thrilling stakes debut as she dug in late to take the Jameela Stakes by a half length at Laurel Park on Saturday, June 20. In the race restricted to Maryland and Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares, the 4-year-old daughter of Great Notion went off the odds-on favorite in the field of seven and completed the six furlongs on the turf at 1:08.50.

Unhurried down the backstretch behind fractions of :22.94 and :45.44, Mopo and Forest Boyce, who has ridden her in each of her starts this year, made a move to the outside around the far turn and took aim at the leaders. The filly moved to the fore in deep stretch, but was immediately confronted by Gift of Gab to the outside, who briefly gained the lead as Mopo drifted in. Mopo reasserted her dominance in the final 70 yards.

"She ran great," said Boyce. "She's a neat horse. It's funny because I think [Gift of Gab] got in front of me for a jump or two. I decided to just hand-ride her [at that point], and then she drew away."

Trainer Phil Capuano and owner Maury Povich were equally as excited about the result. The television personality wasn't on site, but reached out to Capuano immediately after the race. "He texted me and said, 'Wow, that was awesome.' "

Mopo became Capuano's second stakes winner. He had previously sent out Povich's Alwaysinahurry to victory in the 2023 Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes.

Mopo has found her stride as a turf sprinter this year, as she's won twice and was second by a head in her three starts, all at a distance of six furlongs or less. But Capuano believes she can successfully stretch back out in distance. "The next race I have lined up for her is the Peach Blossom, a Delaware-restricted allowance on July 25 at seven and a half furlongs. I still think she can do anything, especially after her first start this year," said Capuano after the race. At six attempts at distances from one mile to a mile and an eighth, she's been first or second five times. In 12 career starts, she has three wins and seven seconds, for earnings of $203,350.

Bred by Tom and Chris Bowman, their son Dr. Brooke Bowman and daughter Rebecca Davis out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Perverse, Mopo is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner La Castiglione and stakes-placed Ignite, Instructor Kunu and Belial. Of Perverse's 10 foals to race, six are six-figure earners, topped by Ignite's $426,988.

Povich purchased Mopo from Becky Davis' 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall yearling sale consignment for $65,000.

Mopo was the first of two Great Notion stakes winners on the card, as his 7-year-old Pennsylvania-bred son Witty won the Ben's Cat Stakes for the second time two races later. With the win, Witty became racing's newest millionaire for breeder, trainer and co-owner Lizzie Merryman.