anthony margotta jr. | Horse Racing Free Tips

The best year of jockey Isaac Castillo's young career just keeps getting better.

Able to get the jump on 3-5 favorite Royal Charlotte coming out of the final turn, Castillo and Bronx Beauty drew off for a 4 1/4-length victory in Sunday's $75,000 Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., giving the 22-year-old Panamanian rider his first stakes win of the meet.

Trained by Anthony Margotta, Jr., Bronx Beauty was racing for the second time in six days. The classy 5-year-old mare was a late-running third in the Teresa Garofolo Memorial Stakes at Parx on Sept. 7 after breaking last in the seven-horse field.

“We typically do not run back this quickly,” said Margotta. “But we will do it if the circumstances surrounding it are good. These happened to be good circumstances. She fit very well against these, she loves Monmouth Park – four out of five now on the racetrack – she's very sound and she's fit right now. Isaac Castillo rides her really well. They get along great. All of those things led to us to coming back quickly in this race. Isaac did an outstanding job.”

Castillo, who began riding full-time in 2017, has already set personal bests this year for victories and earnings in a season.

“It feels great to win my first stakes race of the meet,” Castillo said. “This has been a really good year for me. It shows how hard work every morning can pay off. I'm very happy to win this.”

With Bridlewood Cat, Day by Day and Decoupage all vying for the early lead through fractions of :22.14 to the opening quarter and :45.29 to the half, Castillo had Bronx Beauty just behind that group but ahead of the Chad Brown-trained Royal Charlotte.

Both made their moves on the outside coming out of the final turn but Bronx Beauty and Castillo got there first, passing a tiring Bridlewood Cat at the sixteenth pole and having more than enough to hold off Royal Charlotte, who finished a head in front of Day by Day.

The winning time for the six furlongs was 1:10.45.

“I knew I needed to be aggressive against (Royal Charlotte),” said Castillo. “I had to time my move just before she made hers to get clear. I knew I would have enough left if I was able to get the lead in the stretch because I have ridden this horse many times and I know her.”

Owned by 2W Stables LLC, Bronx Beauty won for the 10^th time in 22 career starts, with the daughter of Liaison boosting her career earnings to $572,270. She paid $9.60 to win.

The post Bronx Beauty Wins Monmouth’s Regret Off Short Rest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Anthony Margotta, Jr. and jockey Antonio Gallardo know that much more went into Hopeful Growth's upset victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., than just a perfect trip.

Two starts ago Margotta took the blinkers off the filly to get her to relax in a race at Tampa in which Gallardo rode her. Last time out the veteran conditioner sent her two turns for the first time. She finished fifth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks.

Both learning experiences, they agreed, keyed a four-length victory at odds of 11-1 in the 96^th edition of the $200,000 Monmouth Oaks.

Hopeful Growth, able to sit chilly along the rail behind dueling leaders, mowed down the frontrunners in the lane for the first stakes score of her five-race career. She covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45.63.

Delaware Oaks winner Project Whiskey held for second, 2¼ lengths ahead of Eve of War.

“I had a really good trip,” said Gallardo. “I know this filly. I won with her in Tampa. Anthony told me that day `try to teach her. I don't want her to be a filly that just goes to the lead. I don't care if you lose, just teach her.'

“That's what happened in Tampa. She learned – and she still won. I was able to put her behind horses that day and she learned very fast. When I put her in the clear that race she took off. That lesson paid off today. She's a good horse and now she knows how to relax and sit behind horses. That's why she won this.”

Margotta said the filly's last two races were learning experiences for this one.

“Her last race was the first time she ran around two turns,” he said. “We were hoping to hit the board there, but typically a horse going two turns for the first time in our program may need a race around two turns the first time. This was our bull's eye target. I took the blinkers off her last two races so she would learn a little. I put them back on (today) so she would focus more after she learned a little bit.

“The Delaware Oaks was a race we needed to get in before this one for the two-turn experience and to learn. I loved the trip (today). She was patient on the rail. That's what we have been teaching her to do and it paid off.”

Owned by St. Elias Stable, Hopeful Growth returned $25.60 to win. The daughter of Tapiture–Maiden America by Rock Hard Ten now sports a 3-1-0 line from five career starts.

“She's bred to go long and she has trained that way the whole time so I knew she would go longer,” Margotta said. “She has always wanted to stretch out.

Gallardo kept Hopeful Growth along the rail as favored Lucrezia and Project Whiskey battled for command through early fractions of :23.94, :48.51, 1:13.52 and 1:139.10 for the mile.

Hopeful Growth found clearance in mid-stretch and proved to be much the best in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

“I had good position the whole way,” said Gallardo. “I was close to the leaders. I had the favorite (Lucrezia) in front of me with Project Whiskey with her and the two horse (Princess Cadey) was just outside us. I just waited to get clear. I was able to do that before the quarter pole. I knew she had a lot left and she responded.”

The post Learning With Experience: Hopeful Growth Wins Monmouth Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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