The second day of Wine-and-Win weekend drew 9,636 fans out to Monmouth, who combined with simulcast players to bet nearly $5 million on an off-the-grass program. By contrast, when I called my race on the last Sunday of June last year, only 8,416 people showed up in idyllic weather. I hope this is just a coincidence.
Race 1 (Scuba Sue, Kevin Fields-Jose Ferrer, 1:12.4)
Right idea, wrong horse. Havana Julie was way overbet, going off at 1/1. She battled with Scuba Sue on the rail, while the latter drew off to an easy score, and Havana Julie finished a distant last. The others in the field rated too far behind the duelers, and had no chance once Scuba Sue got away.
Race 2 (Credo, J. Thompson-Wilmer Garcia, 1:12.1)
No one challenged Credo for the lead, and he set a pokey :22.4 opening quarter. This enabled him to blow the rest of the field away, winning by almost nine lengths. There is no way he's getting a pace that slow in his next race, unless it's in a route or against harness horses. Buyer beware for next time.
Race 3 (Gottcha Blessin, Tony Wilson-Jose Ferrer, 1:39.2)
Three races, three gate-to-wire winners. Gottcha Blessin got some light pressure on the lead, brushed off everyone who tried to challenge, him, and won by six. Jose Ferrer's already got two wins from the first three races.
Race 4 (Bull Ensign, Claudio Gonzalez-Trevor McCarthy, 1:45.1)
Any notion of this track being speed biased after the first three races was blown to smithereens here. Bull Ensign was sixteen lengths off the leaders at one point, before swooping up three-wide around the turn, past the rest of his tired rivals, and won by eighteen lengths. That's the largest margin of victory by any horse this season. Just for some idea of that effort, here's his estimated fractions for each race:
1/4: 26.3
1/2: 50.2
3/4: 1:14.2
1M: 1:39.0
Final: 1:45.1
Race 5 (Crafty Chick, Jorge Navarro-Orlando Bocachica, 1:42.1)
Crafty Chick looked like a "shore"fire winner coming around the turn, after sitting a great two-wide trip off the pace. However, Don't Panic made a strong rally down the stretch, narrowly missing and cutting Crafty Chick's winning margin to a neck. Given there was no pace in the race whatsoever, Don't Panic's race looks fairly impressive. On the other hand, Crafty Chick also crawled home (with a :28 last quarter). So it's kind of a mixed bag.
Race 6 (SS Skittles, Jamie Ness-Daniel Centeno, 1:52.1)
SS Skittles sat a similar trip as Crafty Chick--he rated off the leader, moved up two-wide around the turn, and held off all the closers. The final time of this race, the first run at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt this year, was 1:52.1, I imagine the Haskell will be a tad faster than that.
Race 7 (Dragonberry, Todd Pletcher-Abel Castellano, 1:42.4)
It was a thrilling stretch battle between Sunday Sonnet, who was a clear leader on the inside, Miss Wilby, who rated just off her two-wide, and Dragonberry, who was two-wide on the backstretch and in the three-path around the turn. Dragonberry wound up prevailing, however, going 3/5 of a second slower than the horses in the fifth. This is despite the fact that this race was 70 yards longer. Wow.
Race 8 (Snipers Hide, Terri Pompay-Elvis Trujillo, 1:46.3)
Despite being really wide around the first turn and down the backstretch, Snipers Hide blew by the rest of the field and won by five decisive lengths at 17/1. My pick, Secret Bid, sat a great trip, and looked loaded for bear around the turn, but had no response to the run of Snipers Hide.
This race is tinged with sadness, as Face the Race broke down in the stretch while being eased up, and became the first fatality during a race this season. Rest in Peace.
Race 9 (Irish You Well, Wayne Catalano-Paco Lopez, 1:44.0)
Irish You Well has won three races in his life, and all of them have come at Monmouth Park. Here, he rated off clear leader He's So Fine, then rolled on by to score. You gotta figure that the Monmouth Cup, on Haskell day, is next for him. It makes the most sense.
Race 10 (Have a Taste, Greg Sacco-Paco Lopez, 1:05.2)
My pick, Misszippityslewda, whom I boldly proclaimed could not lose, wound up running last. I hate to make excuses, but I figure that the off-track had to have something to do with it. We'll see how she does on a fast track next time out.
As to the winner, Ghostly Dreams and Have a Taste battled for the lead, but Have a Taste wound up winning that battle, drawing off to a two-length score.
Race 11 (Salutos Amigos, David Jacobson-Cornelio Velazquez, 1:08.2)
Is Salutos Amigos the fastest horse in the country? It's certainly possible. He blew by the rest of the field like they were standing still, winning by four easy lengths in that very fast final time. He's wheeling back next week in the Smile Sprint at Gulfstream. Here's hoping he keeps up his American winning streak.
Race 12 (Diacetto, Claudio Gonzalez-Trevor McCarthy, 1:41.2)
The Gonzalez-McCarthy duo gets their second winner of the day. Here, Diacetto angled five-wide past some tired rivals to win going away.
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