Month: June 2022

Brad Cox-trained Home Brew romped by 6¼ lengths Saturday in the $152,500 TVG.com Pegasus Stakes, the local prep for the $1-million TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) on July 23 at Monmouth Park.

Stalking the early pace from third with Paco Lopez at the reins, Home Brew rallied with determination on the second turn and drew off for the comfortable victory. Electability was second, a neck in front of early pacesetter Cyberviking.

Home Brew's winning time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.20.

Home Brew, a son of Street Sense, is now 4-for-6 lifetime, though Blake Cox, Brad's son, was not ready to commit the colt to the Haskell. Stablemate and Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Cyberknife is already being pointed to the Haskell.

“I'm not sure about that,” said Blake Cox. “We have to see where we are. We've had good luck in the Haskell (winning it last year with Mandaloun after taking the Pegasus), so we'll see.”

Home Brew is a homebred of Gary and Mary West. His dam is the Tapit mare Omnitap.

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Mind Control spurted from the gate to set the pace under John Velazquez in the $150,000 Salvator Mile (G3) Saturday at Monmouth Park but found soon found odds-on favorite Hot Rod Charlie a tenacious rival, just holding him off by a head in a furious stretch battle.

Mind Control, the 2-1 second choice, broke sharply from the rail and clocked fractions of :23.60, :46.66, and 1:11.18 for six furlongs with Hot Rod Charlie in closest pursuit to his outside.

Making his first start since the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March and eager to race, Hot Rod Charlie dueled with Mind Control on the far turn and into stretch, edging to a brief lead late.

Mind Control dug in gamely on the rail and relentlessly battled back to narrowly prevail in 1:35.79 on a fast track. He returned $6.60.

Hot Rod Charlie was 6 1/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Shirl's Speight in the five-horse field.

“This was the plan, hopefully get to the lead and get a little breather,” Velasquez said. “The other horse (Hot Rod Charlie) put up a really good fight. I thought I would make the lead. Hot Rod Charlie doesn't have that much speed and my horse is coming from a sprint. I knew if I hustled him he would make the lead. I didn't want to hustle him too much where I didn't have anything left. We got a breather and when I got to the half-mile pole I kind of opened up again and he gave me a good run down the lane. Hot Rod Charlie actually put his head in front late but my horse was just too game.”

Anthony Sciametta, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said the plan was to put Mind Control on the lead.

“When he shipped in this morning I spoke to Todd and Todd said to tell Johnny (Velazquez) if he can steal it early go ahead and do it,” he said. “I guess he must have looked the race over. That was the plan, exactly as it happened. It was perfect. I thought he was beat in the lane to be honest. But he is a very gutsy horse.”

Mind Control won for the first time in three starts this year, entering off a fifth-place finish in theChurchill Downs Stakes (G1) May 7 and a third in the Carter Handicap (G1) April 9.

Mike Smith, rider of Hot Rod Charlie, expressed his displeasure with the outcome of the race.

“Was I pleased? No,” he said. “I would not have been happy with anything but a win. Did he run well? Yes. He didn't run badly. Credit to the winner. He was gallant. My horse fought with him. I thought Mind Control would get the lead over us. He is coming out of a sprint. We got him to stand still in the gate and he did that – he stood still. I kind of missed the break. I think that's what happened to him in Dubai, too. That's why he was so far back there.  Ability-wise I know what he is capable of, so that is the reason I am not pleased. I know what he can do and this was not it.”

Trainer Doug O'Neill said his team was obviously disappointed, “but we're just so proud of him getting back to the races. We're grateful for the day and looking forward to the future.”

Mind Control, owned by breeder Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable, is a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Stay Thirsty out of Feel That Fire, by Lightnin N Thunder. His career record improves to 10-3-5 from 26 starts and earnings of $1,561,279.

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Trainer Chad Brown pocketed a second graded stakes on Saturday when race favorite Sacred Life rallied strongly from off the pace and scored in the $162,000 Monmouth Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

With Manny Franco in the irons, Sacred Life settled in sixth position early in the 10-horse field, came four-wide into the stretch, grabbed a slim lead at the sixteenths pole from pacesetter Epic Bromance and Safe Conduct, then widened command and won going away by 1 ¼ lengths.

Safe Conduct, who tracked Epic Bromance from second most of the trip, dug in to hold second, a half length to the good of Epic Bromance, who laid down fractions of :24.05, :48.22, 1:12.69 for six furlongs, then grudgingly gave way late in the stretch to finish third.

Sacred Life covered the 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and older in 1:47.70 on firm turf for his first win from four starts this year and returned $4.20.

The 7-year-old French-bred son Siyouni came into to Saturday's race off a runner-up finish in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G2) May 7 at Belmont and halted a four-race winless stretch since taking the Knickerbocker Stakes (G3) last October at Belmont.

Sacred Life has an 8-9-1 record from 26 lifetime starts and $823,768 in career earnings.

“This horse can race almost anywhere and he has proven that,” said Brown's assistant, Luis Cabrera. “We knew he liked this track (winning the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2020). He was in a perfect spot. There was pressure in front of him. Manny rode a nice race. I like the way he responded when he was asked. I think he will go even longer (the Grade 1 United Nations is 1 3/8 miles). But that's Chad's decision if he goes in the United Nations. He has a lot of options. So he will make the decision.”

Earlier on Saturday, Brown won the Poker Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park with Masen.

Franco had Sacred Life ideally positioned off the pace for the first six furlongs.

“I was in the position I wanted to be in,” he said. “My horse was travelling so nice and comfortable. I didn't want to give him too much to do. But when I asked him, the horse responded. He can go even longer if they want him to do that. He just floats. He broke good. I was able to get the position I wanted and he did the rest.”

Campaigned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso, Sacred Life was bred by Viktor Timoshenko and Andriy Milovanov. His dam is the Montjeu mare Knyazhna.

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