Pletcher Scores Exacta in Rego Park Stakes

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a trio of contenders in the Jan. 10 $100,000 Rego Park Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds. While Pletcher conditioned the favorite in Uno, his other two entries completed the exacta, with Perfect Munnings besting Storm Shooter by two lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned by JP Racing Stable, Perfect Munnings shined in his main track debut, building on his Nov. 29 two-length debut score over the Big A turf. The Munnings  sophomore broke well from the outermost post was forwardly placed by jockey Manny Franco in third position as stablemate Storm Shooter led the eight-horse field through a contested opening quarter-mile in :23.35 seconds and the half in :47.81 on the fast track under pressure from Lookin for Trouble.

In the final furlong, Franco kept Perfect Munnings to task, overtaking Lookin for Trouble to his immediate inside and Storm Shooter along the rail and completed the 6 1/2-furlong sprint in a final time of 1:20.24.

"We were pretty optimistic because of the way he breezes on the dirt," Pletcher assistant Byron Hughes said. "He showed that ability today. He had a good post and Manny (Franco) kept him in the clear and he ran well. Obviously, he's won on turf and dirt. We'll keep him up here for now and then we can go back to turf if we have to.

"I told Manny before the race that we probably should use the post to our advantage," he added. "He got a clean trip and Manny did a good job keeping him out there."

Bred by Tammy and Robert Kilmasewski, Perfect Munnings improved to 2-for-2 overall. The $50,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-Bred Sale, more than doubled his career earnings to $93,500.

Franco said he has benefited from the brisk pace battle.

"I was really happy stalking the two horses and when I asked my horse to go before the quarter-pole, he started running for me," Franco said.

My RaceHorse Stable's Storm Shooter, bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski and ridden by Dylan Davis, bested Lookin for Trouble by 1 1/4 lengths for second.

"(Storm Shooter) kept finding more and more and for a second I thought we were going to get there but the other Pletcher horse had to come and grab me," he added. "He ran a great race."

Said Hughes: "He keep finding more and more and for a second I thought we were going to get there but the other Pletcher horse had to come and grab me."

Uno gave Pletcher three-quarters of the superfecta with his fourth-place effort.

Windy Nations, Blue Gator, New York One, and Halpert completed the order of finish.

Video: Rego Park S. (BT)