Julia C. Boutelle’s Teaks North sat off the early speed of
Get Serious and Get Stormy before unleashing a furious stretch rally, posting a
three-quarter length win in the $250,000 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park
on Sunday before a crowd of 14,836.
Teaks North, now a perfect three-for-three over the
Monmouth turf, covered the mile and an eighth over the “good” course in 1:48
2/5 and paid $11.60, $6.40 and $3.20.
Sleepless Knight rallied to complete the $116.60 exacta and paid $11.80
and $5.40. It was another half-length
back to 4-5 favorite Get Stormy, who paid $2.20 to show.
“He loves it here,” said winning trainer Justin
Sallusto. “He’s never lost over this
track. Eddie (jockey Castro) did everything
exactly as I said, ‘sit off the early speed and when you turn for home come and
get them.’ Today was perfect.”
Castro echoed the trainer’s comments, “We had two speed
horses in front of us and were in perfect position,” the jockey said. “I thought Get Stormy was going to be really
tough, but luckily my horse had a really good kick in the stretch.”
A 4-year-old gelding by Northern Afleet from the High
Honors mare Teaksberry Road, Teaks North improved to 6-1-2 from 16 starts. The $150,000 winner’s share of the Grade 3
purse moved his lifetime bankroll to $526,964.
Earlier on the card, General Perfect went from last to
first to capture the $65,000 John McSorley Stakes, traveling the 5 ½ furlongs
over “good” turf in 1:02 1/5.
Trained by Glenn Thompson and ridden by Joe Bravo, General
Perfect paid $19.20, $8.40 and $6.
Southern Danger, who finished a length and a half back, completed the $184.40
exacta and returned $10, $6.40. It was
another half-length back to Awakino Cat, who paid $4.40 to show.
It was the second consecutive year General Perfect
captured the McSorley Stakes. Last year,
the gelding went wire-to-wire in 1:01 2/5.
After Sunday’s score, the 8-year-old General Perfect boosted his
lifetime mark to 10-4-5 from 42 starts, good for earnings of $451,376.
In Sunday’s first race, Say A Novena established a new
track record for 4 ½ furlongs on the main track when he stepped the distance in
:50.93, besting the old record of :51.88 established on June 5, 2009 by
Southern Truth.
A 2-year-old filly making just her second career start,
Say A Novena paid $18 in the maiden special weight event. Trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. and ridden by Mike
Luzzi, Say A Novena is by Songandaprayer from the Dynaformer mare Rabiadella.