jorge duarte | Horse Racing Free Tips

After patiently waiting to get promising 2-year-old Affable Monarch to the races until last Sunday at Monmouth Park, trainer Jorge Duarte doesn't intend to show nearly as much restraint before giving the son of late Arrogate his first significant test.

An impressive 6½-length winner against Maiden Special Weight company, Affable Monarch's next start could be in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 2 if the Colts Neck Stables homebred stays on schedule. The Champagne is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“I think the way he came out of this race and what he got out of this race, it was a good learning experience. It didn't take anything out of him,” Duarte said. “He cooled out very fast. The way he ran and galloped out I think he wants to go longer for sure.

“The Champagne is a one-turn mile with those sweeping turns. He's a big, big horse who should like that. We'll have a couple of breezes and if he keeps training the way he has been I would take a shot in the Champagne to see what we have.”

Kentucky-bred Affable Monarch became the just the second son of Arrogate to reach the winner's circle, with Adversity beating him there by an hour at Saratoga on Sunday.

Duarte said patience may be the key to any Arrogate offspring.

“I believe the Arrogates are a little late bloomers,” he said. “He just had his first two winners on Sunday. Maybe that is the way they are going to trend. I can just go by what I have. I have a couple of Arrogates and this is the first one I got to the races. I know I have an Arrogate filly that may be a late one.

“But it's also not a bad time of the year to get them started if you think you have a good one.”

Duarte's last try at the Champagne came in 2019, when Big City Bob finished third to Tiz the Law after breaking his maiden at Monmouth Park and winning the Sapling Stakes at the track.

He's also having the type of meet at Monmouth Park that suggests trying the Champagne may not be overly ambitious.

Duarte, Colts Neck Stables' private trainer, is 12-for-27 at Monmouth Park this year, having won with 10 of his past 19 starters. As a result, Colts Neck Stables tops the owner standings with 12 winners, five more than anyone else.

He has the added hope that Affable Monarch – who made his debut without Lasix — will be a good one because of the colt's dam, Social Queen. He's a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Force the Pass (Speightstown-Social Queen), who earned more than $1.3 million for Duarte and Colts Neck Stable.

He's also a half-brother to a Speightstown-Social Queen yearling who goes as Hip 154 in the first book of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale that starts on Sept. 13.

“We raced the mare (Social Queen), too,” said Duarte. “She has been very good to us.”

She may not be done returning dividends if Affable Monarch can live up to expectations.

“He's such a big colt. It just took him a little time to get into a rhythm,” said Duarte. “He was always well-regarded by us. We always thought the way he was training he had a chance to be a good one. We were very excited to bring him to the races because they don't come along all the time, horses like him.”

The post First-Out Winner: Arrogate Colt Affable Monarch Headed To Champagne Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.

The post Duarte Looking For ‘Calmer’ Introduced To Show Up In Incredible Revenge Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post