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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