Mrs. E. Paul Robsham’s Discreetly Mine saved ground through
the first half-mile before angling out at the quarter pole and running down Out
of Respect to capture the $200,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park
on Sunday. Approximately 28 minutes later, Maram, winner of the 2008 Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, wore down her rivals to capture the $100,000 Miss
Liberty Stakes.
Discreetly Mine, who earlier this year finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby,
returned $4.80, $3.20 and $2.20 across the board as the 7-5 choice in the Grade
3 Jersey Shore.
The Todd Pletcher-trainee stepped the six furlongs over a
fast main track in 1:09.71. It was a length and a quarter back to Out of
Respect, who completed the $33.60 exacta and paid $8.60 to place and $3.60 to show.
Safe Trip was another length back in third, good for a $2.40 show mutuel.
“The only thing I wanted to make sure of was that I wasn’t head-to-head for the
lead,” said winning jockey John Velazquez. “He kind of got squeezed coming out
of there in the first four or five jumps and I had to encourage him a little
bit to make sure he wasn’t too far back. Once I pulled him out around the turn
he was on his game.”
The Jersey Shore was the first victory for
Discreetly Mine since capturing the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds
on February 20. Last out, the 3-year-old colt by Mineshaft from the blue hen
mare Pretty Discreet, by Private Account was runner-up in the Grade 2 Woody
Stephens Stakes at Belmont
Park. The Jersey Shore
win was the third in 11 starts for Discreetly Mine, who has now earned $559,350
for his owner.
In the Miss Liberty Stakes, Maram, trained by Chad Brown, rallied from last to
first to post a head victory, covering the mile and a sixteenth over firm turf
in 1:41.56. She returned $4.40, $2.60 and $2.20 as the favorite and topped a
$14.60 exacta.
“She settled at the back of the pack,” said winning jockey Jose Lezcano, “and
even through they were going slow up front, I wasn’t worried. When I asked her
in the stretch, she really ran on very well and we were able to nail the other
horse (Strike the Bell)
at the wire.”
Strike the Bell,
who took over in mid-stretch but could not hold off the oncoming Maram, paid
$3.20 to place and $2.80 to show. Eye of Taurus was another half-length back in
third and returned $3.20.
A 4-year-old filly by Sahm from the Quest for Fame mare American Dreamer, Maram
improved her record to 5-1-1 from eight career starts. She has earned $884,520
for owners Karen N. Woods and Saud bin Khaled.
Live racing continues at Monmouth
Park on Monday, July 5,
for a special 12-race holiday card. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., first post 12:50
p.m.