Introduced Best In Incredible Revenge At Monmouth

It took a little longer than he might have preferred but trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. has finally figured out the key to bringing out the best in Introduced, his talented 5-year-old mare.

Kept calm in pre-race for the second straight start, Introduced surged to a three-quarter length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., adding a grass stakes victory to the stakes win she earned in the slop in the Smart N Fancy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a year ago.

Kept just off the early speed duel between Running Memories and Miss Auramet, the race favorite, Introduced rallied past both in mid-stretch to post her second straight victory on the grass and eighth overall from 19 career starts.

In recent losses, Duarte has said Introduced often lost races before they were even run because of how high-strung and nervous she can get. But a new routine of having a pony accompany her to the paddock has seemed to keep the Maryland-bred daughter of El Padrino from getting overly worked up.

“I think we did a good job keeping her calm before the race,” said Duarte, who won both grass sprints on the card and is now 9-for-20 at the meet. “That has always been the biggest battle with her. She helped us because she didn't get too fired up. She was better pre-race today.

“We did the same thing as we did last race (a nose victory over Miss Auramet in an allowance at Monmouth on July 23) with the paddock routine and bringing her over with the pony and she was fine. I felt good when I put the tack on her. Everything was smooth. She has really been running big lately. I'm very pleased with her right now.”

Introduced's winning time for the 5½ furlongs over a firm turf course was 1:02.50.

Running Memories, who set the early fractions of :22.20 and :44.51, held on for second, one length ahead of Miss Auramet.

Owned by Colts Neck Stables and ridden by Albin Jimenez, Introduced paid $10.60 to win.

“My first time riding her, though I breezed her a couple of times. She's a nice filly,” said Jimenez. “I got a beautiful trip right behind the speed. Jorge told me there would be speed inside of her so just break and see where she is and take it from there. It could not have worked out any better. I had a nice, beautiful position. She's a very nice filly. I can tell that after riding her one time.”

Introduced now has five wins from 15 career grass starts. The $60,000 winner's share boosted her career earnings to $384,801.

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, with the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes headlining an 11-race card. The popular Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival will also wrap up its second day then.

First race post time is 12:15 p.m. Parking and admission are free.

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Duarte Looking For ‘Calmer’ Introduced To Show Up In Incredible Revenge Stakes

When Introduced failed to live up to expectations in her first three starts of the year trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. went searching for answers. What he came to realize was this: His talented 5-year-old mare can lose the race before it is even run because of how nervous she gets pre-race.

A change in routine followed, as did an upset victory at Monmouth Park against allowance company on July 23 in her next start.

Now Duarte is eager to see if his adjustments can pay dividends in a stakes race as well.

Introduced, who has won stakes races on the main track but not yet on the grass, is among nine fillies and mares entered for Saturday's $100,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park.

Once again, the Kathleen O'Connell-trained Miss Auramet, beaten a nose by Introduced in that Monmouth allowance race after defeating her by 8½ lengths two starts prior, looms as the horse to beat. O'Connell is adding blinkers to Miss Auramet in an effort to get the classy 5-year-old mare back to her winning ways.

But Introduced may have something to say in the race if Duarte can keep her calm before it goes off.

“At the beginning of the season she had a couple of races where she was getting a little too nervous before the race,” said Duarte, who has won with seven of his 18 starters at the Monmouth Park meet. “We changed a couple of things before her last race, like bringing her in with the pony and saddling her outside.

“We tried to keep her as calm as we could pre-race. It seemed like it worked.”

The 86 Beyer speed figure for her last race, a five-furlong turf dash, equaled a career-best on any surface. Introduced, a Maryland-bred daughter of El Padrino, has won 7-of-18 starts in her career with earnings of $324,801.

She also sports a 4-3-1 line from 14 career grass starts – but lacks a stakes victory on the turf. She did win the Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga last year over a muddy track and captured the state-bred Miss Disco Stakes at Laurel on the dirt in 2019.

“I think she's good enough to win a stakes race on the grass,” said Duarte. “We always thought she would like Monmouth Park but her last race was the first time she put it all together here. We're going to try the same thing pre-race as we did last time and see how it works.

“She's just a high-energy, nervous mare. It seems like if you keep her calm pre-race she will fire.”

Albin Jimenez has the mount on the Colts Neck Stable-owned Introduced, who was 10-1 when she upset 3-10 Miss Auramet last time out.

“There are some nice fillies and mares in this race,” said Duarte. “I trained Miss Auramet last year. I know how good she is. She is very consistent. I don't think she got the best trip last time. My horse kind of got an advantage that day. Miss Auramet was stuck inside and had to wait and seemed to check a little and then had to some around us. So we had the first jump.

“But my filly has some confidence. We'll see if keeping her calm again helps as much as it did last time.”

Miss Auramet enters the race with a 9-8-3 line from 24 career starts and earnings of $444,090. She has hit the board in 12 of her 15 career grass starts, though her last stakes win was in the Politely at Monmouth Park in the slop on May 30.

Paco Lopez has the mount.

The field also includes Love and Peace, a California shipper from trainer Neil Drysdale. She has not raced since March 6 at Santa Anita.

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