A pair of graded stakes winners exiting sub-par performances picked opportune times to rebound on Saturday at Monmouth Park. On a rich afternoon packed with major stakes races, Global Campaign showed impressive resilience to win the $315,000 Monmouth Cup (G3), while Horologist proved clearly best in the $277,500 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3).
The first to strike was Global Campaign, favored at 5-2 despite entering the Monmouth Cup off a sixth-place finish in the Blame S. at Churchill Downs. Winner of the 2019 Peter Pan (G3) as a sophomore, Global Campaign led for much of the journey at Monmouth, breaking from the rail and carving out splits of :23.77, :47.91, and 1:11.69 while pressed by Joevia.
Rounding the far turn, Global Campaign was opposed on the outside by Bal Harbour, narrow runner-up in the 2019 Monmouth Cup. Early in the homestretch all the momentum belonged to the challenger, who forged to a half-length advantage at the eighth pole. But in the final furlong of the 1 1/8-mile race, Global Campaign dug deep under jockey Jorge Vargas and came back to score by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:50.47, aided perhaps by racing without blinkers for the first time in eight career starts.
Math Wizard produced a late rally to secure the runner-up spot, a length in front of Bal Harbour. It was another six lengths back to Monongahela, followed by Harpers First Ride, Joevia, Core Beliefs, Senior Investment, and Just Whistle. Bodexpress was a late scratch by the veterinarian.
Trained by Stanley Hough for the partnership of Sagamore Farm and breeder WinStar Farm, Global Campaign’s affinity for racing 1 1/8 miles is easy to understand. As a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, Global Campaign is bred top and bottom to relish running long.
Stout breeding may have enabled Global Campaign to battle back and win the Monmouth Cup, but Horologist’s triumph in the Molly Pitcher can be attributed as much to her affinity for the local oval as her abundant talent. Bred in New Jersey by Holly Crest Farm, Horologist went 4-for-4 at Monmouth during her first two seasons of racing, most notably scoring a hard-fought victory in the 2019 Monmouth Oaks (G3).
Horologist suffered six straight defeats following the Monmouth Oaks, but returning to New Jersey clearly made a difference for the daughter of Gemologist, who was last seen getting pulled up in the homestretch of the May 31 Santa Maria (G2) at Santa Anita. Making her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the bay filly settled a couple lengths off the early tempo as longshots Wrong Color and Our Super Freak dueled for supremacy through fractions of :23.64, :47.09, and 1:11.32.
Jockey Joe Bravo asked Horologist to accelerate around the far turn, and while Our Super Freak proved surprisingly game on the front end, Horologist was always moving stronger of the pair and ultimately crossed the wire clear by two lengths, stopping the timer in 1:43.48 for 1 1/16 miles.
The 3-2 favorite Royal Flag ran evenly to finish third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Our Super Freak. Sweet Sami D, Queen Nekia, Vault, She’s a Julie, Wrong Color, Flat Awesome, and Cloud Charmer completed the order of finish.
Owned by There’s A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Abbondanza Racing, Horologist was produced by the Stephen Got Even mare Cinderella Time. With a 5-for-5 record at Monmouth and a 1-for-12 record at all other tracks, Horologist has become a poster child for the classic “horse for the course” handicapping angle. You can bet no one will be keen to face Horologist on her home track anytime soon.
