Tag: Racing

After a 1-2 finish in the Monmouth Cup (G3) on the Haskell Day card at Monmouth Park Saturday, trainer Chad Brown returned to win the next race, the $210,000 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3), in similar fashion with Lemista leading in stablemate Fluffy Socks.

Jockey Flavien Prat rode Highly Motivated to a track record-setting win in the Monmouth Cup and then guided Lemista to a half-length triumph over Fluffy Socks in the Matchmaker.

Lemista moved up to track pacesetter Flighty Lady from second, a half length back through six furlongs in 1:12.21 with Fluffy Socks stalking from fourth, and bid two wide entering the far turn. Dispatching the front-runner, Lemista led on the home turn, then repelled a game bid from Fluffy Socks, who engaged her in early stretch, to prevail.

Time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:47.07 on firm turf.

Fluffy Socks, ridden by Manny Franco, finished a neck to the good of Vigilantes Way, who was third. Lady Rockstar, the 9-5 favorite, raced in last of seven and had no closing kick to finish fifth.

Lemista halted a six-race winless stretch, entering the Matchmaker off a third in Eatontown Stakes (G3) June 18 at Monmouth.

“Lemista doesn't have a great turn of foot and I've been frustrated when she's been out of position,” Brown said. “She ran decent last time when she got dragged to the back of the pack. She just needs to break into position, and today I thought for the first time that she had really good forward position. She has a good kick; she's just not going to circle the field. She's not that kind of horse, so I'm very pleased with the trip that Flavien (Prat) worked out for her. The other filly (Fluffy Socks) was a little bit wide but she was game as usual. She's very consistent. She had a more challenging trip having to lose some ground on that final turn and that was the difference.

“I was thinking about what might be next for both of them. The Beverly D might come back a little quick off a hot day and it's a hard stretch run there. If not there, races like the Ballston Spa at Saratoga, maybe. That will give them a little more time between starts. We'll see.”

Lemista, who returned $11.20, won for the first time in three starts this year and has a 5-1-2 record overall from 13 career outings with earnings of $362,350.

Owned by Peter Brant, Irish-bred Lemista is a 5-year-old daughter of Raven's Pass out of the Arcano mare Shortmile Lady.

The post Brown-Trained Lemista Outduels Stablemate Fluffy Socks To Win Matchmaker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Klaravich Stables' homebred Highly Motivated spurted away from stablemate Pipeline in the stretch and blazed to a track record-setting win in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup (G3) Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown, Highly Motivated covered the 1 1/8 miles 1:46.53, eclipsing the previous record of 1:46.80 set 37 years ago by Spend a Buck in the Monmouth Handicap (G1) in August 1985.

The triumph marked the first graded stakes win for the son of Into Mischief who was runner-up by a neck in the Blue Grass (G1) following a hard-fought stretch duel with winner Essential Quality after setting the pace. He subsequently finished unplaced in the Kentucky Derby (G1) then went to the sidelines for almost a year. He returned May 16, finishing fourth in allowance company at Keeneland then took a second-level allowance with a claiming option at Belmont Park on May 28 before his record-breaking win.

Anitgravity set the early pace Saturday, laying down fractions of :23.63 and :47.47 for a half mile while Prat positioned Highly Motivated three wide in sixth then fifth in the field of seven. Pipeline stalked from third then moved to press Antigravity before the half, then got his head in front to clock six furlongs in 1:10.34 while Highly Motivated advanced to third.

Bidding entering the far turn, Highly Motivated engaged Pipeline approaching the quarter pole, grabbed command entering the stretch, and shook free en route to a 1¾-length win in track record time.

Pipeline held for second, 2 ¼ lengths in front of third-place finisher Informative.

The 4-5 favorite, Highly Motivated returned $3.60.

“In hindsight, the grueling stretch duel in the Blue Grass really took a toll on him,” Brown said. “Going into the (Kentucky) Derby he didn't run at all. He went to the sidelines for quite a while. It's really taken me this long to get the horse back from that tough, tough race against Essential Quality (Blue Grass). He's finally — over a year later — rounding back into that good form. He required incremental steps. I let him find his legs again to find that sharpness he had.

“He needs to be a bit more forwardly placed and I saw it today. He broke good and was happy to rate, but always in hand and ready to go. That's the Highly Motivated I'm used to, and the horse he was early on the Derby trail.”

Brown said Pipeline ran great.

“The plan was to go to the lead. It sounds like from Manny (Franco, the rider) there were a couple riders who were so intent on the inside that he didn't feel it would be good judgment to clear him because he potentially would have been hounded. He decided to rate the horse. The horse ran very, very well. I think he probably prefers to go to the lead when the conditions are right.

“I haven't looked beyond this race what's next for either of them.”

Kentucky-bred Highly Motivated, who is out of the Warrior's Reward mare Strong Incentive, improved his record to 4-2-1 from nine career starts and boosted his lifetime bankroll to $617,375 with the $240,000 winner's share of the Monmouth Cup purse.

The post Into Mischief Colt Highly Motivated Lowers 37-Year-Old Track Record In Monmouth Cup Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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