Force Freeze put on
a show in the $100,000 Teddy Drone Stakes as he took command in the stretch and
scored by a length and a quarter in 1:07.77 for the six furlongs, just missing the
track record.
Trained by Peter
Walder, Force Freeze gave jockey Paco Lopez his fourth winner of the day in the
Teddy Drone, which went as the 10th race.
Force Freeze, making
his U.S. debut for Saeed Naser al Romaithi after racing in Dubai, was overlooked
in the wagering and paid $35, $11.80 and $7 across the board. He topped a $250
exacta with Jersey
Town, who was up for
second over Ravalo. Irrefutable, the 8-5 favorite, faded out of the money.
Jersey Town paid
$5.40 and $3.80, and Ravalo returned $8.60 to show.
Irrefutable and
Force Freeze set a torrid pace, with a quarter in :21 3/5 and a half-mile in
:43 3/5. Force Freeze hit another gear in deep stretch to near the track record
of 1:07.47 set by Idiot Proof in 2007.
“I’ve had the horse
since the end of May,” Walder said. “We took our time with him. This horse has
been working lights out. He exudes class”
Force Freeze, a
6-year-old by Forest Camp, was winning his seventh race in 19 career starts.
In the $100,000
Regret Stakes for fillies and mares, Magical Feeling closed with a dramatic
rush to split horses in deep stretch for a head victory over Bronx City Girl.
The winner, trained
by Allen Iwinski and ridden by Roberto Alvarado Jr., stopped the timer in 1:08
3/5 for the six furlongs and paid $17, $9.20 and $5.60 across the board as one
of the outsiders in the field of eight.
Bronx City Girl, who
took the lead in deep stretch, held second and completed the $142.80 exacta,
paying $10.20 and $5.80 to place and show. Love That Dance, who was in contention
until fading near the wire, finished third and paid $6 to show. Hour Glass, the
2-1 favorite, was fourth.
This was the third
straight victory and first stakes score for Magical Feeling, a 5-year-old
daughter of Empire Maker who races for Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds. It was her
ninth victory in 16 career starts.
“Robby gave her a
great ride,” Iwinski said. “He got through all the holes. I’m so emotional
talking about this filly. There’s nothing you can say about a horse that gives
her all every single time.”
In the $100,000
Jersey Derby for 3-year-olds on the turf, Breathless Storm looked the part of
the favorite as he stalked the early pace and then took command in midstretch,
drawing off to win by nearly two lengths.
The son of Storm
Cat, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and confidently ridden by Paco Lopez, stopped
the timer in 1:41 flat for the mile and a sixteenth over a firm course and paid
$4.60, $3 and $2.40 across the board as the 13-10 favorite in the field of
eight.
Beachcombing rallied
to be second, nearly three lengths in front of Moonhanger, who had set much of
the pace. Beachcombing paid $3.80 and $3 and completed the $17.20 exacta.
Moonhanger was $4 to show.
It was the second
straight win over the Monmouth turf for Breathless Storm, and the first stakes
victory for the Kentucky-bred, who has now won three of seven lifetime starts
for owner Mrs. Fitriani Hay.
“I was close to the
early lead,” Lopez said. “The pace was not that quick. He took the lead on his
own and I didn’t really ask him until the 1/16th pole. He was pretty
impressive.”
Soaring Empire
proved another prompt favorite in the $100,000 Majestic Light Stakes as he
launched his bid from last rounding the far turn, and then wore down Kensei
late to score by nearly a length.
Cam Gambolati trains
Soaring Empire, an Empire Maker colt who finished second to Kensei in the
Salvator Mile (G3) here last out. The winner paid $4, $2.40 and $2.10 as
favorite in the field of six and topped the $10.80 exacta.
Kensei, the second
choice, paid $3.20 and $2.80 and Cactus Charlie, longest price on the board at
30-1, grabbed third to pay $4.
“I just think he’s
really a good horse,” Gambolati said. “He’s really matured this year.”
This was the third
win at Monmouth for Soaring Empire, who races for the partnership of Ol
Memorial Stable & C.E. Glasscock.
The parade of
favorites continued in the $100,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes as Quiet Giant came
roaring down the stretch to score by nearly seven lengths as the 6-5 choice.
The Todd Pletcher
trainee gave Leparoux a second stakes score on the day as she stepped the mile
and a sixteenth in 1:41 2/5 and paid $4.40, $3.20 and $2.80 across the board.
Lacie Slew, a 9-1
chance, was up late for second by a neck over Debonair Darling and paid $7 and
$5.40 to complete the $35.60 exacta. Debonair Darling paid $4 to show.
“She won really
easy,” Leparoux said. “It was nice. I knew I was far in front because I was
watching on the infield TV. That’s nice when you can do that.”
It was the third win
of the year in five starts for Quiet Giant, a 4-year-old daughter of Giant’s
Causeway who races for the Estate of Edward P. Evans.