For the better part of 50 years, Al Gold traveled from his New Jersey home to Monmouth Park a countless amount of times. He saw more editions of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes in the course of his 66 years on this earth than he can remember.
Month: July 2022
Search Results Tallies Third Straight Graded Stakes For Brown, Prat At Monmouth
Trainer Chad Brown and jockey Flavien Prat notched their third straight graded stakes victory on Monmouth Park's Haskell Day card Saturday when Search Results rolled to a three-length triumph in the Molly Pitcher (G3).
The two teamed to take Monmouth Cup (G3) with Highly Motivated and the WinStar Matchmaker (G3) with Lemista and provided a second graded score on the card for Klaravich Stables, owner-breeder of Highly Motivated.
Tracking from third behind pacesetter Beth's Dream and Pennybaker through a half mile in :47.37, Search Results came with a three-wide move around the turn to gain a short lead at the quarter pole. Asserting herself when called upon, she opened 2 ½ length advantage in early stretch and drew away to finish 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.47, just shy of Sharp Azteca's track record 1:40.19.
A 4-year-old Flatter filly, Search Results tallied a fourth graded stakes win to her five-race win record, which includes 2021 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park that followed a runner-up finish in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). She went to the sidelines for the rest of the year after finishing third in the Test (G1) last August at Saratoga. She opened 2022 finishing third in the Distaff (G3) April 9 at Aqueduct but rebounded to win the Ruffian (G2) May 8 before posting a third June 11 in the Ogden Phipps (G1), both at Belmont. She was ready to win Saturday.
“I'm so appreciative Monmouth had this race,” Brown said. “It made it an easy decision to come here with her, and the mile and a sixteenth is a good distance for her. Flavien (Prat) did a terrific job and I really wanted to keep her face clean and not have any dirt in her face from that post (3). Flavien did execute it really well. I told him just get out of there. If somebody to her outside wants to go, just extract her quick because I think she's tons the best and I don't want to take any chances. Just park her in the center of the track and she if she can do it today, and she sure did. I'm glad it worked out for her.”
“I really didn't look past this race for what's next for her. She's showed she can handle a mile and an eighth effectively. She's definitely on a schedule to go to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).”
Prat said he was happy with the way the race unfolded.
“She was traveling well,” he said. “She really kicked in. She has great speed out of the gate but she can also rate, as she showed in this race. It worked out well. Obviously, drawing inside was not ideal. But she broke well and when they cleared me I was able to get in a nice, comfortable spot. She kicked on well. She was just waiting for me to give her the cue to go.”
Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Search Results in out of the Candy Ride mare Co Cola.
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Cyberknife Leads Home Gun Runner Exacta in Haskell
OCEANPORT, NJ – Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) led home a one-two finish for his sire when he charged up the rail in deep stretch to nip Taiba (Gun Runner) on the line while setting a new track record in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park Saturday. The victory gave trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux their second winner from as many starters in the Haskell following Mandaloun (Into Mischief)'s win via disqualification in the 2021 renewal of the race and put an end to a remarkable streak of four straight graded wins on the card by Chad Brown, who saddled favored Jack Christopher (Munnings) to a third-place finish.
Let go at 7-1, Cyberknife broke from the rail and was allowed to settle into stride as longshot Benevengo (Gormley) took the field through fractions of :23.50 and :46.96 while shadowed by Jack Christopher. The favorite moved to the lead after three-quarters in 1:09.93, while Geroux aboard Cyberknife was waiting for racing room and Taiba was rallying five wide into the lane. Taiba was first to overtake the tiring favorite, but Cyberknife was slicing through a narrow opening along the rail. The two sons of Gun Runner went head to head in the final strides with Cyberknife just getting the better of his foe in the last jump. The final time for the nine furlongs was 1:46.24, lowering the track record set just four races earlier when Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) won the GIII Monmouth Cup S. in 1:46.53. The previous nine-furlong record at Monmouth Park had stood since 1985 when GI Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck covered the distance in 1:46.80.
The win, which rewarded the victor with an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, was a hometown score for New Jersey native Al Gold of Gold Square LLC.
“This is a very big deal for me personally,” Gold said. “I started betting horses when I was a kid and have owned horses for 40 years. You always have fantasies. You want to win the Kentucky Derby and all the big races, but this is one of the ones I really wanted to win. We go to the [Aug. 27 GI] Travers next and we'll see where we are. And we're on our way to the Breeders' Cup.”
Cyberknife won the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby, earning a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby. The colt faded to 18th after chasing a hot pace in the Derby, but came back to outnose Howling Time (Not This Time) in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs last time out June 12.
“I think this is his best race to date,” Cox said of Cyberknife's Haskell victory. “Throughout the race I thought he looked very professional with the way he handled himself. At the quarter-pole, Florent Geroux had a nice hold of him and he was loaded. He responded well when asked. He flew at the end. I am very proud of him. He was able to settle. Florent took a good hold of him and then made a run up the backside and got him in position along the rail. Florent looked like he had a lot of horse when he turned for home. He was just figuring out whether he was going inside or outside of the leader. It looked like he made the right decision staying to the inside and we were able to hold off Taiba. It was a big effort. I'm very proud of this horse and our whole staff. He's been a challenging horse at times. A lot of the good ones are.”
With his third-place finish, Jack Christopher was suffering the first loss of his career while making his first start beyond a mile. The loss put a stop to a streak of four straight graded tallies on the Haskell card by Brown, who won the Monmouth Cup with Highly Motivated, the GIII WinStar Matchmaker S. with Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), the GIII Molly Pitcher S. with Search Results (Flatter) and the GI United Nations S. with Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}).
A crowd of 22,138 attended the races on a stifling hot day on the Jersey Shore Saturday, wagering $1,303,642 on track. All-sources handle totaled $19,896,954–up from the 2021 figure of $16,414,535, but off the record mark of $20,479,392 set in 2020.
Pedigree Notes:
Gun Runner, third in the 2016 GI Kentucky Derby, also came into the Haskell off a win in the Matt Win, but the champ was fifth in the Oceanport oval's signature race. Cyberknife is one of five Grade I winners for the Three Chimneys stallion, who has also been represented by this year's GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting and 2021 2-year-old filly champion Echo Zulu.
Cyberknife's dam Awesome Flower was a multiple stakes winner and three times graded placed for breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey. She has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Tapit named Tapit Shoes–who was purchased by the BSW/Crow Colts Group and trainer Brad Cox for $300,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale–as well as a weanling colt by Authentic. She was bred back to Gun Runner this year.
The Haskell winner's third dam, Well Dressed, produced G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow), Grade I placed Helsinki (Distorted Humor) and graded winner Witty (Distorted Humor), dam of graded winner Bombard (War Front) and multiple graded placed Amuse (Medaglia d'Oro). Also under the third dam is Grade I winner American Patriot.
Saturday, Monmouth Park
TVG.COM HASKELL S.-GI, $1,017,500, Monmouth, 7-23, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:46.24, ft.
1–CYBERKNIFE, 122, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Awesome Flower (MSW & MGSP, $556,593), by Flower Alley
2nd Dam: Formalities Aside, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
($400,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-2-0, $1,596,520. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Taiba, 122, c, 3, Gun Runner–Needmore Flattery, by Flatter. ($140,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $1,700,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Bruce C Ryan (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $200,000.
3–Jack Christopher, 119, c, 3, Munnings–Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $135,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud and Peter M. Brant; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
Margins: HD, 2, 4HF. Odds: 7.80, 2.10, 0.70.
Also Ran: Howling Time, Benevengo, King of Hollywood, White Abarrio, One Time Willard.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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Nest Stuns With Brilliant Display In CCA Oaks, Secret Oath Second
As a race that often features the best of its division, the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) has seen over three dozen of its winners go on to be crowned champion 3-year-old filly at the end of their campaigns. On Saturday, Nest made a strong case for year-end honors in the 106th renewal of the prestigious test, turning the tables on Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath with a 12 1/4-length victory at Saratoga Race Course.
Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest entered off a runner-up effort to stablemate Mo Donegal when facing the boys in the Belmont Stakes (G1), one start after finishing two lengths in arrears of Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks. The last time the Kentucky Oaks exacta was reversed in the CCA Oaks was in 1998, when Banshee Breeze defeated Keeper Hill.
Nest's CCA Oaks win provided her Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with his record-extending eighth victory in the historic nine-furlong event. Among his previous CCA Oaks victresses are Hall of Famer Ashado, who won in 2004 when the race was contested at Belmont Park. His first CCA Oaks win took place in 2001 with Tweedside, when it was a 1 1/2-mile event.
“I guess I've been around long enough when this race used to be run at a mile and a half at Belmont. That would really have been in her [Nest's] wheelhouse,” Pletcher said.
The expected shape of the race was altered when both Butterbean and Society, an expected pace presence, stumbled at the break. Nest broke sharply from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr. with Secret Oath and Nostalgic, 10th in the Kentucky Oaks, keeping close company to her outside heading into the first turn.
A headstrong Society found a seam along the inside and was insistent to join the top flight to mark the opening quarter-mile in :24.10 over the fast main track as less than one length separated the top-four runners with Butterbean trailing.
Nest put a head in front through a half-mile in :47.46 as a wavering Society dropped back to third in tandem with Nostalgic. But while those two threw in the towel, Secret Oath appeared to be ready for a fight and found herself on even terms with her familiar foe around the far turn as they logged a sharp three-quarters in 1:11.05.
Entering the stretch, Luis Saez was all out and asking for more out of Secret Oath, while Ortiz appeared comfortable aboard Nest.
With Next opening up by 4 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, Ortiz took a peek back past the furlong marker and had his filly all wrapped up by the sixteenth pole as she strolled home well in hand, stopping the clock in 1:51.04.
Secret Oath finished another three lengths ahead of Nostalgic with Society and Butterbean completing the order of finish.
Nest, who returned $3.90 as the favorite, banked $275,000 in victory which enhanced her already millionaire status to $1,405,550. She has never finished out of the money in eight lifetime starts, three of which are graded stakes wins.
The victory was a second CCA Oaks win for Ortiz, whose first Grade 1 victory came in this race's 2012 edition aboard Questing.
“It's a great feeling and she's a great filly,” Ortiz said. “I've been on her and obviously we wanted to win this race, the whole team did, and it worked out well when I realize she's already home. I just took care of her for the next race.”
Prior to Nest's previous two starts in the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes, she was an easy open-lengths winner of the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland.
Pletcher said the biggest difference maker on Saturday was Nest's ability to be in the clear when ready to make her move.
“She's showed up every race of her life,” Pletcher said. “The last two trips, she was sort of bottled up in both the Oaks and the Belmont, and she had no place to go. She could have advanced sooner than she did, but she still closed well. That was one of the things we were working on today.”
Pletcher noted the dynamics of the race were altered by the bad break from the two horses to Nest's inside.
“It's funny how you spend a lot of time analyzing a game plan and then, as they say, everything can change at the break, which it did today,” Pletcher said. “The main thing is we wanted to establish some position, get away smoothly and get to the first turn in a forward position. We were able to do that even though everyone wasn't positioned exactly where we thought they would be. It turned out to ultimately to have those four fillies bunch up together and she was able to fend off the challenge from Secret Oath and keep going.”
Secret Oath's Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a two-time CCA Oaks winner, was gracious in defeat.
“The winner ran a super, super race. She won fair and square. We hung a little bit,” Lukas said. “We needed, I think, to have been a little tighter on this track. Coming in here and shipping from out of state is tough – it always has been, and I've been here 50 years. It's always been a place where you do a little better if you have an out over it. But the good news is we'll have another shot.”
With Nest and Secret Oath now having one victory over the other in two starts, there is a possibility for round three as Pletcher and Lukas both said they would consider bringing their fillies back for the $600,000 Alabama (G1) on August 20 at 10 furlongs at the Spa.
“We've run a lot of horses in the Belmont over the years, but we've never had one come out any better than she did,” Pletcher said. “She had great energy and she gained weight since that race. She gave us every indication she was ready to run back. Originally, we thought we should wait for the Alabama, but she was just doing too good to bypass this race.”
Yes, I think they'll team up again. She [Nest] will have the edge, but maybe we'll get better,” Lukas said.
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