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Blinkers On Are ‘One And Done’ For Tonalist’s Shape After CCA Oaks

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Tonalist's Shape finished a well-beaten fourth as the 6-5 favorite in Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The multiple graded-stakes winner, who wore blinkers for the first time in a race Saturday, was rank early and lacked the late punch that carried her to victory in the Forward Gal (G3) and Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet and, most recently, the Hollywood Wildcat at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“The blinkers, I knew, could have that effect. I thought the blinkers for her was going to be hit or miss. It was either going to make a big difference or it was going to be a big mistake. It turned out to be a big mistake,” Joseph said. “We thought we were making the right decision. We had to give it a try. I'll take the blame for that. I can't blame her. She got a little rank going into the first turn. I think it was a complete throw-out race. I'll take the blame for that.”

The Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks is still penciled in for a 'blinkers-off” Tonalist's Shape.

“I'm not going to let that race distract us. If all is well, we're going to stay on plan. She's earned a spot in the Oaks. If she stays the course, we'll probably give her a chance there. We'll see how she does,” Joseph said. “We'll talk it over with the owners, but I don't see any reason not to continue onwards.”

Math Wizard, who gave Joseph his first Grade 1 success while winning last year's Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, improved off a pair of disappointing 2020 efforts with a second-place finish behind Global Campaign in Saturday's Monmouth Cup (G3).

“He ran very good. He's just a hard-knocking horse,” Joseph said. “On his day, when he's doing good, he gives his all. I couldn't be more proud of him.”

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No Passing Lane: Global Campaign Rerallies To Win Monmouth Cup

Passed by Bal Harbour at the top of the stretch after being pressured on the front end by another rival, Global Campaign rerallied in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup by 1 1/2 lengths at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Saturday.

Ridden by Jorge Vargas Jr. and trained by Stanley Hough, Global Campaign — a 4-year-old colt by Curlin – covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:50.47 after setting fractions of :23.77, :47.91, 1:11.69 and 1:37.55.

Math Wizard, winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby in 2019, closed from last in the field fo nine to finish second, one length ahead of Bal Harbour, who looked like a winner at the top of the stretch.

Global Campaign, who raced without blinkers for the first time in an eight-race career and was favored at 5-2, was winning for the fifth time. This was his second graded stakes win, having taken the G3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park last year.

Owned by WinStar Farm and Sagamore Farm, Global Campaign was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm. He is out of the A.P. Indy mare, Globe Trot.

“I didn't like seeing all the pressure on him all race,” Hough said. “But I can't say I'm surprised he withstood it. I had my doubts when he got headed in the stretch by Bal Harbour. But Jorge Vargas rode him good and the horse responded great. He's a very, very talented horse, so it's good to see him come back like this. Hopefully he continues to show himself. I'm very pleased with this effort. He was kind of rambunctious as a 3-year-old last and he'd look around and get distracted so I kept the blinkers on him. But I never felt he really needed them. I just thought it would let him see around a little by taking them off for this race. I've been working him without them so he was used to it again. He's shown from the start that he's a good horse. He's well-bred and gosh he has so much talent. He has kind of been his own worst enemy. But he is finally maturing and maybe we can build from here.”

“I was pretty excited when I found out I was going to ride him,” said Vargas. “I went back and watched all of his races. I knew how talented he is. If you saw him this race, even with those horses putting pressure on him all race, he kept his ears pricked and he was relaxed and off the bit. When I asked him a little bit he jumped on the bit and he had something left. He was very strong. I just moved to Monmouth Park for the summer for the first time this year and this is my first win of the meet so it's pretty special.”

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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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