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Softer Spot Helps Premier Star Find Winner’s Circle In Jersey Shore

If Premier Star's solid showing in his last race wasn't enough to convince trainer Michael Trombetta that the colt was sitting on a breakout performance, his recent works erased any doubts.

Those two indicators proved to be spot on.

Able to squeeze through an opening after three-eighths of a mile to take the lead, Premier Star powered his way to an impressive 4 3/4-length victory in Wednesday's $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

One race after finishing four lengths behind Yaupon, a top contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint trained by Steve Asmussen, and two lengths behind multiple Grade 1 winner Basin in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga on Aug. 29, Premier Star dispatched his six rivals with ease.

Winning time for the six furlongs was a sharp 1:09.61.

“This horse has trained really well,” said Trombetta. “I was a little concerned when (Paco) squeezed up the inside and it looked like he might have room, and then you're thinking maybe not, but he was able to get through and grab the spot and the lead, which he wanted. He's a pretty fast horse. These type of horses don't like to be checked or steadied. They just don't recover from that a lot of times. I'm glad (Paco) was able to make it work.

“As tough as his last race was and as well as he ran in my mind that day they still have to run. Every horse race is a different race. A lot of things have to go right to win them. Today was his day.”

Owned by Sonata Stable, the son of Tapiture improved to 4-for-7 lifetime with his first stakes score. Longshot Johnny Ritt held second, a neck ahead of Meru.

Lopez made the winning move by squeezing through an opening down the backside as Johnny Ritt and As Seen On TV dueled through an opening quarter of :22.09, with Premier Star just off of them.

“He's a big horse and a couple of them broke faster than he did but he was running once he got going,” said Lopez. “I guess it was about the three-eighths that I had to decide to go outside or inside and I saw room on the rail and I took and he went right to the lead. He was very strong today.”

Once Premier Star made the lead he started extending his advantage through an opening half in :44.74. He returned $4.20 to win.

“I knew he ran against some monsters last race but I was surprised the instructions were to send him. But they know him. They know how he likes to race,” said Lopez. “Once he made the lead no one was catching him.”

Premier Star now has two wins and a third in the four starts for Trombetta, who took over the horse's training from Jorge Navarro this spring.

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park with a 10-race card on Saturday, Oct. 17. First race post time is 12:50 p.m. ET.

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Tapiture’s Premier Star Romps in Jersey Shore

A firming even-money favorite, ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Premier Star (Tapiture) proved far too strong for six other rivals in Wednesday’s Jersey Shore S. at Monmouth Park, jogging under the line a very easy winner.

Away fairly from his low draw, Premier Star raced in third with a foothold at the fence and Paco Lopez elected to send his mount through a tight inside spot to take up the running with a little less than a half-mile to race. Comfortably in front on the bend, he kicked further in front in upper stretch and came home a convincing winner over Johnny Ritt (Weigelia). ‘TDN Rising Star’ Meru (Sky Mesa) was off slowly and lagged towards the rear for the opening half-mile, then made decent stretch progress to round out the trifecta.

A winner of two of three starts and sixth in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. while under the care of Jorge Navarro, Premier Star was third in a June 19 Laurel allowance ahead of a 3 1/2-length success at that level Aug. 6. He was last seen finishing third, four lengths behind undefeated Yaupon (Uncle Mo) in the GII Amsterdam S. at Saratoga Aug. 29.

Premier Star is the seventh black-type winner for Tapiture, who also supplied this year’s GIII Monmouth Oaks victress Hopeful Growth. He descends from the family of the late influential Harlan’s Holiday and is his dam’s last listed produce.

JERSEY SHORE S., $102,000, Monmouth, 10-14, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.61, ft.
1–PREMIER STAR, 118, c, 3, by Tapiture
1st Dam: Letthetigerparty, by Hold That Tiger
2nd Dam: No Need to Party, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Dowager, by Honest Pleasure
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. ‘TDN Rising Star‘ ($105,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN). O-Sonata Stable; B-Charles H Deters (KY); T-Michael J Trombetta; J-Paco Lopez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GSP, 7-4-0-1, $160,750.
2–Johnny Ritt, 118, g, 3, Weigelia–C J’s Little Girl, by Attorney. ($17,000 Ylg ’18 EASOCT). O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing LLC; B-Barbara Wheeler (PA); T-Robert E Reid Jr. $20,000.
3–Meru, 118, c, 3, Sky Mesa–Lady Lavery, by Elusive Quality. ($75,000 Ylg ’18 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo ’19 OBSAPR). O-Colts Neck Stables LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Jorge Duarte Jr. $10,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 16.80, 3.90.
Also Ran: He’s Smokin Now, Gandy Dancing, Newstome, As Seen On Tv. Scratched: Bright Dawn, Carey Times, Win Ya Win. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Sloppy Track Won’t Be Problem For Premier Star In Wednesday’s Jersey Shore Stakes

The initial scouting report that Michael Trombetta received when he took over the training of Premier Star this spring was pretty basic.

“All they told me when I got him was that he was a very nice horse,” Trombetta said.

What the veteran conditioner has found out since then is that the son of Tapiture has the ability to be a top-notch sprinter, maybe even one with a graded stakes-winning future. For now, Wednesday's $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park is the next step toward that, with Premier Star set to take on nine other 3-year-olds in the six-furlong feature, including stablemate Newstome.

Trained by Jorge Navarro for his first three career starts, Premier Star opened with two impressive victories before faltering in the Grade 3 Sam Davis.

Trombetta has had the colt for his three starts since then, the most recent being a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29. In that race, Premier Star finished four lengths behind race winner Yaupon, a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint trained by Steve Asmussen, and was two lengths behind multiple Grade 1 winner Basin.

“The first time I ran him (a fourth-place finish at Laurel) he took a bad stumble leaving the gate and it really compromised his chances,” said Trombetta. “Then we were able to get things going much better after that.

“He won his next start and then we took him to Saratoga for the Amsterdam. As tough as that race was he showed up in a good way and ran credible.”

The Amsterdam was contested over a muddy track, which is significant given the two days of steady rain Monmouth Park has had Monday and Tuesday.

“He can deal with a sloppy track,” Trombetta said. “I think he will be fine if it's off. Quite frankly, it's getting late in the season for 3-year-olds so we only have so many opportunities left.”

Owned by Sonata Stable, the Kentucky-bred Premier Star has won three of his six career starts, with two of the defeats in graded stakes and the other because of a stumbled start.

But he does have his limitations.

“I don't know if he's truly a two-turn horse. Hopefully at some point he can be,” Trombetta said. “Hopefully he can go a little bit further. We would certainly entertain seven furlongs for sure and maybe a one-turn mile. Whether he is a two-turn horse or not only time will tell.”

For this race, Premier Star is at his optimal distance, facing a solid mix of sophomore runners. The field includes the Kelly Breen-trained As Seen On TV, who is back sprinting after lackluster effort in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start. He was similarly unimpressive in the Grade 1 Florida Derby after a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

Newstome, Stidham's other entry in the race, will mark his 10th straight stakes appearance, but is just 1-for-5 as a 3-year-old after winning three of five starts at 2. The son of Goldencents has four career victories and has banked $226,646.

First race post time for the eight-race card on Wednesday is 12:50 p.m.

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After Just One Year In U.S., Trainer Jose D’Angelo Readying Jesus’ Team For Preakness

Grupo Seven C Stable's Jesus' Team arrived at Pimlico Sunday afternoon, becoming the first contender for Saturday's Preakness Stakes (G1) to step foot on the historic grounds known as Old Hilltop.

The son of Tapiture, who most recently finished third in the Sept. 5 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga, arrived by van from Monmouth Park.

“He enjoyed the trip. He has in the last three months many trips. Now, it is easy for him,” said trainer Jose D'Angelo, who drove the truck towing the van carrying his stable star.

Jesus' Team took the lead in upper stretch in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy before coming up 1 ½ lengths short of victorious Mystic Guide. The Kentucky-bred colt previously finished second behind Preakness contender Pneumatic in the Pegasus at Monmouth and fourth behind Kentucky Derby winner and likely Preakness favorite Authentic in the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth.

D'Angelo, a former leading trainer in Venezuela now based in South Florida, is looking forward to participating in his first U.S. Triple Crown event.

“It's very exciting. I'm very nervous, too,” D'Angelo said. “I have only one-year training in USA. It's the best race of my life. It's a great chance to show the abilities of the horse. I think we're going to have a great race in the Preakness.

D'Angelo said Jesus' Team is scheduled to jog over the Pimlico track Tuesday morning and gallop every other morning up to race day.

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