New Jersey-Bred Horologist Wins Molly Pitcher
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Photo: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Horologist (left) pulls away in the Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park
It was only appropriate that on Monmouth Park's biggest day of the year, a New Jersey-bred, Horologist, won the final race on the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) card in the $277,500 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) July 18.
There's A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Abbondanza Racing's Horologist is now 5-for-5 on Monmouth Park's main track following her two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Horologist was ridden by Joe Bravo, who earlier on the card won the United Nations Stakes (G1T) in an upset aboard Aquaphobia. A 4-year-old daughter of Gemologist , Horologist was making her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Horologist sat in a sweet spot down the backside while racing on the outside and tracking pacesetters and longshots Wrong Color and Our Super Freak through a quarter-mile in :23.64 and a half-mile in :47.09. Turning for home, Wrong Color retreated, but Our Super Freak was still running on and Horologist had her to catch. With a furlong remaining, Horologist put behind Our Super Freak and began to draw off.
"I just didn't want to lose ground going around the first turn," Bravo said of his outside post. "I was so scared of getting away slowly and getting carried 10 wide. I was able to breathe and relax a lot better when I was able to fit her in and get over, and there were only two horses in front of us. At times, she was pulling me. Nothing to say other than she ran well."
The final time was 1:43.48 on the main track, which was rated fast. The winner returned $9.40 for a $2 wager.
Our Super Freak finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of the 3-2 favorite, Royal Flag, in third. She's a Julie, the second choice, never was a factor and finished seventh in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares after the scratch of Gotham Gala.
Bred by Holly Crest Farm, Horologist is the first foal out of the Stephen Got Even mare Cinderella Time. With her $165,000 payday, the filly elevated her career earnings to $564,439 and now has a record of 6-2-3 from 17 starts. She won last year's Monmouth Oaks (G3) when she was trained by the late John Mazza, who died this year at 82. She broke her maiden for Mazza in her career debut at Monmouth Park in 2018 when she won a state-bred race by 20 3/4 lengths.
One start before the Molly Pitcher, Horologist was pulled up in the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park May 31 while under the care of Richard Baltas.
"Sometimes the horse goes to something new that they're not familiar with (in reference to Horologist pulling up in her previous start in the Santa Maria)," said co-owner Cameron Beatty of There's A Chance Stable. "It's all a risk. Me and my partners took the risk. We regrouped and we decided to bring her back to Monmouth Park. We knew she loved it here. She's 5-for-5 here now. She just loves it here. I love it here. It's unbelievable that she's a multiple graded stakes winner now as a Jersey-bred. Just a tremendous feeling of accomplishment."