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By Myra Lewyn,
Sharp Sensation, a 16-1 outsider, denied iconic Maryland turf sprinter and favorite Ben's Cat a third win in the $300,000 Turf Monster Handicap (gr. IIIT) (VIDEO) at five furlongs Sept. 1 at Parx Racing.
In an earlier five-furlong turf sprint on the card, speed-loving Quality Lass made all the pace and held strong for a head victory in the $200,000 Turf Amazon Handicap for fillies and mares.
Jim and Susan Hill's Sharp Sensation was ridden from fifth to lead by 1 1/2 lengths into the stretch and had just enough power in reserve to hold off 2-1 choice Ben's Cat and win by a neck under David Moran.
Ben's Cat, seventh in the early running, lost some momentum when he bobbled and was steadied on the turn, causing Julien Pimentel to briefly lose his left rein. He was angled out for the stretch run and with his 8-year-old legs pumping, launched a swift outside rally, just failing to get to the winner.
Bold Thunder and Berlino Di Tiger dueled for command through a withering half mile in :44.96 and both came up empty for the stretch run, finishing eighth and 10th, respectively in the field of 11.
Sharp Sensation completed the trip in :57.39 on firm turf for his second stakes win of the year. In June, the 4-year-old Sharp Humor gelding set a Presque Isle Downs track record of 1:02.10 for 5 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather track in scoring his first stakes in the Karl Boyes Memorial. Trained by Reade Baker, he has won five of nine career starts and earned $353,640.
Hunter Valley Farm bred Sharp Sensation in Kentucky from the unraced Royal Academy mare Accusation and sent him through the auction ring as a weanling at the 2010 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The Hills snagged him for $55,000.
Sharp Sensation, toting 115 pounds, paid $34.60, $13.20, and $7. Ben's Cat brought $3.60 and $2.60, and third-place Tightend Touchdown returned $3.40 to show, both the co-highweights at 123 pounds.
Private Zone was fourth, followed byTell All You Know, A P Elvis, Stormofthecentury, Bold Thunder, Risk Factor, Berlino Di Tiger, and Petey Cramer.
West Point Thoroughbreds' Quality Lass, a daughter of Exclusive Quality , set the pace along the rail for John Bisono but drifted out a bit in deep stretch. After racing at the back of the field, Joya Real was handy to capitalize and angled over to the rail where she rapidly closed to narrowly miss while taking second.
Jewel of a Cat, the 3-1 favorite, raced close to the leader into the stretch, but ducked out late before finishing third, a half-length back in the 11-horses field.
Quality Lass, at 8-1 odds as the 119-pound co-highweight, was a bit unruly before the race and was reluctant to step onto the turf course. But once the gates flew open she was all business for the victory in :57.71 for the five furlongs.
Trained by Guadalupe Preciado, Quality Lass added a second stakes win to her record this year, following her front-running victory in the June 8 Satin and Lace Stakes on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Down. Making all the pace last time out, she annexed a five-furlong allowance/optional claiming race by three lengths Aug. 11 at Delaware Park. Overall, she has an 8-4-3 record from 26 career starts and $415,265 in earnings.
Via agent Buzz Chase, West Point bought the 5-year-old mare for $82,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sales Co. March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training. She was bred in Ontario by Sienna Farms from the stakes-placed Bold Executive mare On the Podium.
Quality Lass paid $18, $8.60 and $5.20 while Joya Real returned $6.60 and $4. Jewel of a Cat paid $3.60.
Completing the order of finish were Miss d'Oro in fourth, followed by Spun Cap, Sweet Cassiopeia, Wellingtons Appeal, Allaboutcaroline, Heaven Knows What, Aquinnah, Coarsegold, and Sounds of the City.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/87134/sharp-sensation-edges-bens-cat-in-monster#ixzz3C7wbM21
Protonico Surges in Smarty Jones for Pletcher
By Jerry Bossert
Todd Pletcher recorded his 1,000th career stakes winner when Protonico surged late under Joe Bravo to take the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO) from Parx Racing on the Labor Day Pennsylvania card Sept. 1.
Pletcher became just the second trainer to reach 1,000 stakes wins, behind only his former boss D. Wayne Lukas, with 1,076.
Splitting horses in deep stretch, Protonico caught Classic Giacnroll by a half-length for the Giant's Causeway colt's his third career victory and first graded stakes win from five starts.
The dark bay colt is owned and bred by International Equities Holding, and is out of the A. P. Indy dam Alpha Spirit.
Protonico was exiting a close third in the Curlin Stakes, run at Saratoga July 25, which saw the winner, V. E. Day, come back to take the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes (gr. I). He was sent off as the 7-2 third choice in the mile and 70-yard Smarty Jones in a field of nine 3-year-olds, and was timed in 1:41.17.
Racing in sixth early on, Protonico was caught in some traffic turning for home. Bravo first ducked the dark bay colt to the inside and then tipped back to the outside before finishing full of run to collar Classic Giacnroll in the final strides.
Classic Giacnroll, a 13-1 outsider, rallied up the rail to pass the 7-5 favorite Albano and appeared home free before Protonico found his best stride.
Albano sat the perfect trip under Kerwin Clark to grab the lead in the stretch but was no match for the top two, lasting for third while beaten by 2 1/4 lengths. Almost Famous, Saa Mi, Just Call Kenny, Ain't Got Time, and Grasshoppin completed the order of finish. Joint Custody was pulled up and eased in the stretch. Lynx was an early scratch by trainer Cathal Lynch.
Ain't Got Time provided the pace for six furlongs before fading, carving fractions of :22.73, :46.29, and 1:10.77.
Protonico scored in his debut Sept. 7 of last year at Delaware Park, winning by 12 3/4 lengths before tiring to sixth in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 3.
He was transferred from trainer Oussama Aboughhazale into Pletcher’s barn this year, taking an optional claiming race at Belmont Park June 25 by two lengths before just missing in the Curlin Stakes when beaten by only a head.
Protonico, boosting his earnings to $259,715, returned $9.20 to win, $4.80 to place and $3 to show. Classic Giacnroll paid $10 to place and $4.40 to show, while Albano returned $2.40 to show.
The Smarty Jones is the local prep race for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) to be held at Parx Sept. 20. Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness (gr. I) winner California Chrome is expected to make his first start since dead-heating for fourth in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) won by Tonalist.
By Jack Shinar September
Cary Street, saving ground every step of the way under Miguel Mena, outlasted Ever Rider to spring a 28-1 surprise in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup (gr. III) (VIDEO) at 1 1/2 miles on the main track at Parx Racing Sept. 1.
The first of three grade III events on the Parx Labor Day program went to JBL Thoroughbreds and Walsh Racing's 5-year-old son of Smarty Jones , trained by Brendan Walsh. Making his stakes debut in the Greenwood Cup, Cary Street defeated Ever Rider by one length, with even-money choice Micromanage five lengths farther back in third.
Attempting the 12-furlong distance for the first time in his career, Cary Street was timed in 2:30.71 over a fast track, paying $59.80, $15.80, and $5.60. The Argentine-bred distance specialist Ever Rider returned $10 and $5 while completing an eye-popping $681.80 exacta. Micromanage paid $2.40 to show and was part of a $2 trifecta worth $1,849.20.
Cary Street dropped back to seventh in the field of 10 shortly after the start while Mena guided the bay gelding to the rail, where they were able to track the leaders. Abraham established the early lead, stalked by Irsaal, Adirondack King, and Ever Rider, who was positioned at the rail through a half mile in :48.42 and six furlongs in 1:14.09.
As Cary Street advanced along the rail with Micromanage also reaching contention on his outside, Ever Rider and Kerwin Clark went for an early run on the inside, getting a slight lead over Abraham while completing the mile in 1:39.37. Ever Rider took control at the quarter pole as Abraham tired and led the field into the stretch while coming off the rail a bit leaving the turn.
Cary Street, also using a rail bid, drew alongside the leader approaching the furlong marker and got the better of Ever Rider in the drive for the wire under urging from Mena.
Micromanage, in tight for Joe Bravo at the quarter pole, lost some ground and was unable to muster much of a rally while coming in a distant third. Call Me George, Abraham, Irsaal, Sailor's Revenge, Adirondack King, Lideris, and Slim Pickins completed the order of finish.
Cary Street was bred in Kentucky by Darley out of the winning Sultry Song mare Shady Reflection.
He had not been out since June 29 when second at Churchill Downs in an allowance/optional claiming event over 1 1/6 miles. Cary Street won an allowance at nine furlongs at Churchill in May and now sports a 5-4-2 career mark in 17 races, earning $230,275 with the winner's share of $120,000.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/87126/cary-street-rides-rail-to-greenwood-surprise#ixzz3C7xNpOxh
