MONZON (Thunder Gulch) opened his three-year-old season with a
The Maryland-bred winner garnered his first stakes win, completing a
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“I rode him last time on the grass and I thought he was a grinder,” Prado
said. “I was kind of surprised that he was running without the blinkers for the
first time on the dirt, but he broke OK, sat in the back of the pack and came
with a run. I think that the race set up beautifully — everybody went early and
I was happy when I saw that.”
J J’s Lucky Train (Silver Train), who prompted pacesetter Pants on Fire (Jump
Start) during the early stages, surged to the lead in upper stretch and easily
held second by 3 1/2 lengths after proving no match for the winner. Pants on
Fire saved third and was followed under the wire by Arthur’s Tale (Bernardini),
Tap Star (Tapit) and 2-1 favorite Rush Now (Tiznow). Isn’t He Perfect
(Pleasantly Perfect) was scratched.
Monzon broke his maiden by 12 1/2 lengths on dirt at Laurel Park in August
and doubled his win tally with a 5 1/4-length success in a starter allowance
over the Delaware Park turf in September. The dark bay ended a two-race winless
streak in the Count Fleet, having finished fifth in the Bourbon (G3) at
Keeneland and third in the Gnomes Gold S. at Belmont Park on October 31.
“We were eventually going to come back to the dirt with him,” said Correas,
who trains the homebred for Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Farm. “We took the blinkers
off to try and relax him. The plan was that if he ran well in the Count Fleet,
we’d look ahead to the Whirlaway (on February 5), which is what we will probably
do. He’s still a little green and has things to learn. We don’t know his limit
yet.”
Monzon has now earned $90,144 from a 6-3-0-1 line.
NICOLE H (Mr. Greeley) didn’t disappoint her many backers in the $63,700
Interborough S., rallying from just off the pace to a comfortable 2
1/2-length tally beneath Ramon Dominguez. Favored at 2-5 among five rivals, the
Michael Hushion trainee picked up her second consecutive stakes victory on the
inner track and improved her overall ledger to 14-4-5-2, $189,344. The
four-year-old filly finished six furlongs in 1:10 3/5.
Pacesetter Meese Rocks (Rock and Roll) claimed runner-up honors, and Purrfect
Bluff (Lion Heart), Bob’s Dylan (David) and Quiet Mover (Quiet American) came
next under the wire.
A 2 1/2-length winner of the December 4 Garland of Roses H., Nicole H races
in the colors of Dr. John K. Waken’s Gem Inc. Bred in Kentucky by JMJ Stables,
the dark bay sold for $115,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September sale.
“I wasn’t happy being boxed in since two races back when she ran on the
inside she didn’t seem to like it,” said Dominguez, NYRA’s leading jockey in
2009 and 2010. “As it turns out, (today) she was very relaxed and very settled.
When it was time to go, she just exploded through horses.”
Crossed Sabres Farm’s PREACHINTOTHEDEVIL (Pulpit) bided his time behind
Eminent Tale (Read the Footnotes) until the top of the stretch and then blew
past the pacesetter to win going away in the $60,000
Champagneforashley S. for New York-bred three-year-olds, notching his first
stakes victory with a 3 1/4-length decision. The Gary Contessa-trained colt
stepped a mile and 70 yards in 1:43 2/5 with jockey Junior Alvarado.
A 7 1/4-length debut winner over maiden special weight rivals two starts
back, Preachintothedevil finished third in the December 5 Damon Runyon S. in his
previous outing. He upped his bankroll to $71,020.
Eminent Tale held second by a neck and was followed under the wire by Sky
Music (Sky Mesa), Crea’s Law (Thunder Gulch), Awesome Merger (Awesome Again),
Majestic Raffy (Raffie’s Majesty), Beau de Beaupre (Holy Bull), Decesion Point
(E Dubai) and Artie Luvsto Party (Artie Schiller).
Bred in the Empire State by Jeffrey Tucker, Preachintothedevil was purchased
for $160,000 at the 2009 Fasig Tipton Midlantic sale.