Get
Serious headed for the front-end early and never looked back in the lane,
winning the $250,000 Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes as Cool Coal Man rallied to the
lead turning for home before drawing off to a two-length win in the $100,000
Skip Away Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.
In a bit of a surprise, Get Serious and jockey Pablo Fragoso took command just
after coming out of the chute and opened up a daylight lead on the expected
front-runner Presious Passion, winner of last year’s Monmouth Stakes. Get Serious,
who reported home a length and a quarter on top, covered the mile and an eighth
over firm turf in 1:47 flat and paid $16, $8.60 and $5.80 across the board.
“If Presious Passion sent, we were going to back off,” said winning trainer
John Forbes. “He (Get Serious) opened up a little bit on the backside and by
that time it was probably a little to late to gun Presious Passion.
“We thought if we were going to take on Presious Passion, now was the time. He
had to go to Dubai
and this was his first race back.”
Multi-millionaire and multiple Grade 1 winner Presious Passion was taken out of
his element when he did not make his customary early lead. The 3-1 favorite in
the field of nine colts and geldings faded around the far turn and finished
seventh, beaten just under 10 lengths. The Monmouth Stakes was his first start
since the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic on March 27.
Roman Tiger, dismissed in the wagering at 24-1, angled off the fence as the
field turned for home and tried Get Serious as they neared the final furlong,
but proved no match for the winner.
“When I got to Get Serious at the eighth-pole, he re-broke as soon as he
smelled us,” said Joe Bravo, who piloted Roman Tiger. “That horse (Get Serious)
is really something.”
The Get Serious-Roman Tiger exacta paid $332.60. Roman Tiger returned $20.20 to
place and $9.60 to show. It was another two lengths back to Dynamoor, who
rallied to pay $5 to show.
The Monmouth Stakes win was the 11th in 27 starts for Get Serious, a 6-year-old
gelding by City Zip from the Java Gold mare Java Gal. He has now earned
$740,691 for owners Dinan, Moore and Phantom House.
Forbes
indicated that Monmouth
Park’s Battlefield Stakes
on July 10 will likely be the geldings next start.
In the Skip Away Stakes, Cool Coal Man returned $4.60, $3 and $2.10 as the
favorite in the field of five colts and geldings after stepping the mile and a
sixteenth in 1:43 4/5. Sir Whimsey rallied to complete the $43.40 exacta and
paid $7.80 to place and $3.60 to show. It was 3 ¾ lengths back to Gone Astray,
who paid $2.60 to show.
“It was a very slow pace and I just wanted to sit right off of it,” said
winning jockey Elvis Trujillo. “When I asked him he came home very well. He’s a
nice horse.”
The Skip Away win marked the 10th in 26 starts for Cool Coal Man, a 5-year-old
horse by Mineshaft from the Rubiano mare Coral Sea.
He has now earned $777,328 for owner Robert V. LaPenta.