You couldn't ask for a nicer day today at Monmouth Park, and there was good racing today to boot. Here's what happened:
Race 1 (Mi Amore, Greg Sacco-Joe Bravo, 1:44.1)
Mi Amore was very wide the whole way around, but he was so much better than everyone else, it didn't matter. Joe Bravo made a three-wide move with the heavy favorite, and he drew off to win it easily. Diacetto improved off his first dirt effort of the year to run a clunking-up second.
Race 2 (Mom'z Laugh, Marcus Vitali-Orlando Bocachica, 1:11.0)
Whereas once the Jacobson-Worrie combination was big money, now Vitali-Bocachica is starting to provide some winners. They teamed up with Mom'z Laugh, who rated off the pace two-wide, then held off the oncoming rally of Captain Munnings. My pick, Fiesta Rose, was dull. She sat off the pace inside, and had absolutely no punch in the stretch.
Race 3 (Queen Bee Theresa, Tony Wilson-Navin Mangalee, 1:41.3)
This race was marred by a scary incident on the far turn, as Fifth Amendment collapsed at around the 1/4 pole and lay motionless for a few minutes. She was eventually revived and walked off the track--here's hoping all is well with her.
As to the race, Queen Bee Theresa was hustled to the lead on the inside, set a slow, uncontested pace, and it was all over from there. That's what happens when horses are allowed to run like that, though. She was 7/1 in the betting, but if you offered in-race betting, you'd be lucky to get 2/5 at the three-quarter pole.
Race 4 (Silent Critic, Tim Ice-Kerwin Clark, 1:36.3)
Brad Thomas comes through in the clutch: he picked this horse on top at 12/1, which led to me throwing him on my pick-3 ticket to begin the sequence and subsequently hitting for $37. Whoo-hoo!
Meanwhile, my pick, Warrior's Instinct, was really wide the whole way around and flattened out to finish fifth. Folks, there's no need for a horse breaking out of post position four to be three-wide on the backstretch. That should never happen.
Race 5 (No Returns, Jorge Navarro-Paco Lopez, 1:11.1)
Both No Returns and second-place finisher Get Creative ran well, dueling with each other through blazing fractions all the way around. Then again, considering nobody even tried to rally here, that race may not be as impressive as it looks on the charts. Buyer beware next out.
Race 6 (Wildcatpleasures, Jorge Navarro-Abel Castellano, 1:10.4)
Wildcatpleasures was the fastest horse in the field and ran like it, brushing off the challenge of Pelekas Beach and drawing off to win by five easy lengths. It's nice when a race runs exactly as it's supposed to on paper.
Race 7 (Huamantla, Dennis Ward-Jose Ferrer, 1:36.1)
This one began auspiciously, as both Kent's Baby Girl and Ka Buki Rose broke through the gate before the start. Kent's Baby Girl didn't get very far, but Ka Buki Rose galloped about an eighth of a mile--with rider aboard--before being caught and taken back to the gate. Ka Buki Rose was on the lead and folded after six furlongs. Kent's Baby Girl, however, was taken out of her element, being off the pace before rallying. Given all the circumstances, that was an effort to keep in mind.
Huamantla, who was totally dismissed at 17/1 due to her being on the also-eligible list, rallied four-wide around the turn and got up to win. This, folks, is why you still have to look at also-eligibles. You never know when they'll pop into a race and surprise you.
Race 8 (Coaches Challenge, Wayne Catalano-Paco Lopez, 1:10.2)
Coaches Challenge was coming out of a deep maiden race at Churchill, and was subsequently bet down to 3/5 favortism. He watched leader Class and Cash, overtook him when that one faded, and won it as much the best. Just as a 3/5 shot should.
Race 9 (Canzoni, Todd Pletcher-Paco Lopez, 1:40.2)
It's a hat trick for Paco Lopez, better known to him as "an average day". It's not every day you'll see a Paco-Pletcher horse pay $6.80, either. That's a testament to how wide-open this race was.
Race 10 (Power of Snunner, Timothy Kreiser-Matthew Rispoli, 1:41.4)
Power of Snunner took the lead, dismissed the rating of J's Two Step Halo, and drew off to an easy win. Oasis at Midnight was clearly second best, finishing nine lengths clear of the third-placing finisher. Once again, just like on paper: the two looked the best by a lot, and they ran like it.
Race 11 (Fast Flying Rumor, Gerald Bennett-Sammy Camacho, 1:02.1)
I'll tell you, if Bluegrass Singer had won this race, as opposed to making what looked like a winning move on the turn and folding, I would've hit the late pick 4 for a boxcar score. Unfortunately for me, Fast Flying Rumor took the early lead, and never let it go to win at 17/1. Souper Colossal ran a suck-up second, failing to salvage my pick 4. Isn't that terrible?
Race 12 (No More Music, John Mazza-Gabriel Saez, 1:11.0)
No More Music went off at a ludicrously high 12/1, while the betting public flocked towards the entry. He paid his backers well, rating off the pace, angling out in the stretch, and drawing off to a three-length win. That $27.80 payoff represents the biggest longshot I've picked all year. Go me.
That wraps up another racing week at Monmouth Park. We'll see you for more picks for Friday's card, which includes three steeplechase races.
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