Warrior's Charge Put Up in Iselin
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Photo: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Warrior's Charge returns to the winner's circle at Monmouth Park
Trainer Brad Cox knows full well how tough graded stakes victories are to come by, so he'll take the one by Warrior's Charge via disqualification Aug. 22 in the $190,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.
With the stewards ruling that first-place finisher Pirate's Punch came in and intimidated Warrior's Charge and jockey Paco Lopez late in the race, Cox's trainee earned the second graded stakes victory of his career after being placed first.
"Paco had the horse where he needed to be, up close or on the lead," Cox said. "Pirate's Punch took off after us and I thought we were able to battle back and get in front of him, but I'm not sure he ever did, even though he hung in there with him. Maybe we were going to come back. Obviously, the stewards thought we were. We were fortunate to come out on the front end of this. The horse that crossed the wire first ran a tremendous race. I honestly thought he was a horse to contend with, and he obviously was.
"It's strange because a couple of more jumps and we're probably third. It was an unfortunate way to win a race, I guess you could say. But we'll take it. Now we'll see how he comes out of it."
Pirate's Punch (No. 3) interferes with Warrior's Charge (No. 2) in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes
The 1 1/16-mile Iselin, reduced to a four-horse field after scratches, was essentially a two-horse race with Pirate's Punch, ridden by Jorge Vargas Jr., and Warrior's Charge running neck and neck throughout. Warrior's Charge eked out the early advantage, setting opening fractions of :24.10 and :47.46 before he was headed by Pirate's Punch through three-quarters in 1:11.17.
Pirate's Punch took a slight advantage in midstretch through a 1:36.61 mile, with Warrior's Charge battling along the rail. With 30 yards to go, Pirate's Punch came over and Lopez stood straight up in the irons to avoid incident, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Bal Harbour.
The final time on a fast track was 1:43.37.
"(Pirate's Punch) came in on me pretty good," Lopez said. "I had to steady because of him. I had to completely stand up and stop riding. He came over. I think the stewards did the right thing. I had to completely stop riding my horse. I think my horse was still trying hard.
"I think if had a little room, he would have come back to win because he's a fighter. You can see on the head-on how it bothered us and why I had to stop riding. That hole was there, and then it closed very quickly when that horse came over on us."
Warrior's Charge, who started his 4-year-old campaign by winning the Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, improved his record to 5-1-3 from 11 starts. The son of Munnings is owned by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables.
The ultimate goal with Warrior's Charge is the Nov. 7 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.
"He will ship back to Kentucky tomorrow, and we'll see how he is," Cox said. "I think we'll look at one more race (before the Breeders' Cup Mile), but we'll see how he comes out of this first."
Bred in Florida by Al Shaquab Racing out of the Broken Vow mare Battling Brook, Warrior's Charge has earned $835,310. He is the first foal and only starter to date out of his dam, who has a Khozan 2-year-old filly named Minetta and a yearling filly by the same sire. She produced a full brother to Warrior's Charge this year and was bred to Medaglia d'Oro for 2021.