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Brown 1-2-4 In Matchmaker, Led by Irish-Bred Nay Lady Nay

Trainer Chad Brown sent out the first-, second- and fourth-place finishers in the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Saturday, with Irish-bred Nay Lady Nay defeating stablemate Beautiful Lover by a half length as the 2.20-1 favorite. Christophe Clement-trained Feel Glorious finished third, with Brown's Tapit Today fourth in the field of seven fillies and mares.

Nay Lady Nay, ridden by Paco Lopez, was timed in 1:46.21 for 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course.

A 4-year-old by No Nay Never, Nay Lady Nay was winning for the fourth time in seven career starts. The Matchmaker was her second graded stakes win, having won the G2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs on yielding turf last Nov. 29.

No Nay Never races for First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm.

Valedictorian set the pace, chased throughout by Tapit Today, who opened up as many as six lengths on Nay Lady Nay before reaching the far turn. Fractions were :23.62, :47.68 and 1:10.94 for the first six furlongs, with the mile clocked in 1:34.25.

“I won with her twice last year, once at Monmouth and once at Parx,” said Lopez. “So I remembered her and her running style. When Beautiful Lover started coming with me I was a little concerned because I know that is a good horse. I was able to let my horse settle most of the way. She likes to come from off the pace. They were going pretty fast up front so I wasn't really worried when the two (frontrunners) looked like they were getting away. She responded very well when I asked her. She's a nice filly. She really has a strong finish. I just had to find the room for her in the stretch. Once I did she was fine.”

Luis Cabrera, assistant to Chad Brown, said: “All three fillies we had in here ran really good. Respect to all of them. I thought Beautiful Lover was going to keep going by all of them. But the winner had a really good trip. Paco Lopez gave this horse a great ride. Her last race she got in a little trouble and it was her first start of the year (eighth in the G3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs May 30). This time she got a perfect trip. She's a really good, classy filly. She has talent. That's always important. She broke her maiden at Monmouth Park so we knew she liked the turf here.”

In addition to their share of the $150,000 purse, the top three finishers are awarded stallion seasons to either Exaggerator, Take Charge Indy and Yoshida from WinStar Farm.

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Bravo Rides $62,500 Claim Aquaphobia To United Nations Upset

Aquaphobia engineered a $23.40 upset of Saturday's Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., coming from just off the pace to defeat Australian-bred pacesetter Paret by one length. Corelli finished third, with 13-10 favorite Arklow fourth in the field nine older turf runners going 1 3/8 miles.

Time for the race on a firm course was 2:12.63 after Paret (like the winner, sent away at odds of 10-1) set fractions of :24.50, :48.90, 1:14.41, 1:38.48 and 2:01.25.

A 7-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, Aquaphobia was winning for the ninth time in 36 starts. The United Nations was his first graded stakes victory. Out of the Real Quiet mare Pussycat Doll, Aquaphobia was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. M Roy Jackson.

Aquaphobia is trained by Michael Maker, who claimed the horse for $62,500 at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26 from Drawing Away Stable and trainer Robert Falcone Jr. Aquaphobia earned the $180,000 winner's share of the $300,000 United Nations purse for owners Paradise Farms Corp, David Staudacher, Hooties Racing and Skychai Racing.

“Joe Bravo rode him beautifully,” said Maker. “We had a lot of confidence in the horse coming in and he didn't let us down. He's run a mile and quarter in the past and he was successful but he hasn't had the opportunity to go that long or longer again. We felt this horse was better than we were getting out of him.

“I think the distance was the reason,” said Maker. “He'd been training dynamite so I was optimistic. Coming out of his last race, the Grade 2 Wise Dan (when fourth), I thought that was a good race. He was beaten less than two lengths. So it looked like he was getting back to where we think he can be. He's a classy, sound horse who makes it easy.”

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Jersey-Bred Horologist Affirms Her Love Of Monmouth With Molly Pitcher Triumph

New Jersey-bred Horologist ran her Monmouth Park record to a perfect 5-for-5 on Saturday, winning the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes by two lengths at the Oceanport, N.J., track. Our Super Freak finished second at odds of 40-1, with 3-2 favorite Royal Flag finishing 5 1/2 lengths farther back in third.

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Horologist covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.88 and paid $9.40 for the win — her sixth overall from 17 career starts. Owned by There's a Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing and Abbondanza Racing, the 4-year-old daughter of Gemologist is trained by Bill Mott. She was bred by Holly Crest Farm.

Winner of the G3 Monmouth Oaks in 2019 when trained by John Mazza, Horologist made her last five starts for trainer Richard Baltas, most recently being pulled up before the finish of the G2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita on May 31.

Horologist, breaking from the outside No. 10 post, sat just off the pace as longshots Wrong Color and Our Super Freak battled on the front end through fractions of :23.64, :47.09 and 1:11.32. Wrong Color threw in the towel before turning into the stretch, but Our Super Freak only stubbornly gave way in deep stretch.

“I just didn't want to lose ground going around the first turn,” said Bravo. “I was so scared of getting away slowly and getting carried 10 wide. I was able to breathe and relax a lot better when I was able to fit her in and get over and there were only two horses in front of us. At times she was pulling me. Nothing to say other than she ran well.”

Cameron Beatty of There's a Chance Stable said: “Sometimes the horse goes to something new that they're not familiar with (in reference to Horologist pulling up in her last start in the Santa Maria). It's all a risk. Me and my partners took the risk. We regrouped and we decided to bring her back to Monmouth Park. We knew she loved it here. She's 5-for-5 here now. She just loves it here. I love it here. It's unbelievable that she's a multiple graded stakes winner now as Jersey-bred. Just a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.”

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Record $20.5 Million Wagered On Haskell Day At Monmouth Park

Monmouth Park set a track record for handle for a non-Breeders' Cup day when bettors wagered a total of $20,479,392 on Saturday's 14-race TVG.com Haskell Stakes day card in Oceanport, N.J. The record handle was achieved despite restrictions for on-track attendance due to COVID-19 guidelines.

The overall handle from all sources surpassed the previous non-Breeders' Cup record of $20,024,509 set on Haskell Day on Aug, 2. 2015.

It is only the second $20 million handle for a non-Breeders' Cup program in Monmouth Park's 75-year history.

“The reality is that this will go down in history as one of the most challenging yet gratifying Haskell Days in history,” said John Heims, Monmouth Park's racing secretary and director of racing. “We are grateful to the Governor for his leadership and for permitting us the ability to have race fans to enjoy this terrific experience and be part of a day that will long be remembered.”

Authentic's nose victory over Ny Traffic also extended Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's record to nine Haskell victories.

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