Henry Clark Stakes Winner Corelli Heads Monmouth Stakes

Five starts after getting Corelli , trainer Jonathan Thomas believes he has finally found the key to success for the 6-year-old Point of Entry   gelding. At least he hopes he has.

A winner in his 2021 comeback race April 24 at Pimlico Race Course, Corelli will step up to graded stakes company again when the grass specialist goes in the Monmouth Stakes (G3T), the headliner on a 12-race card at Monmouth Park June 5. The 13th running of the $150,000 Monmouth Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, has attracted a field of 10 plus two alternates.

"We're really pleased with his comeback race," said Thomas. "We think we've figured him out. We were probably running him too long last year.

"We've tried to kind of re-invent him and encourage him to show a little more turn of foot while also relaxing early on in races."

After racing in England for his first 10 career starts, Corelli came into Thomas' care last year. Though winless in four starts in 2020, he did manage to get third in the United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park at a mile and three-eighths. But that was the extent of his success, with two of his races last year at a mile and three-eighths, one at a mile and a half in the Sword Dancer (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course, and one at nine furlongs. All were on the turf.

"I thought he ran well in the United Nations," said Thomas. "He looked like he was running a winning race and then at the eighth pole he was kind of coming up for air a little bit.

"That's not to say we won't run him back in the United Nations at that distance but I get the feeling he is best suited for a mile and an eighth."

Cut back to 1 1/16 miles for his first start this year, Corelli rallied to win by a nose in the $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes over a firm turf course.

Thomas also found out something else about the Augustin Stable-owned Corelli from the Sword Dancer: He wants nothing to do with a soft turf course. In his last start in England over a soft grass course, Corelli finished 15th. In the Sword Dancer, he was fifth in the seven-horse field, beaten 18 lengths.

"The turf was very soft for the Sword Dancer that day," said Thomas. "We learned with this horse that he is not a soft turf horse. He's a big horse. He does not like the soft ground."

It's something Thomas will keep in mind for leading up to the race since rain is in the forecast. Saturday is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the 80s.

"We're keeping the weather in the front of our minds," Thomas said. "We'll have a much better idea on Friday as to what we're doing."

The field of 10 for the Monmouth Stakes features three horses trained by Chad Brown (Devamani , Serve the King , and Tribhuvan ) as well as the Todd Pletcher-trainee Winters Back .

Paco Lopez rides Winters Back.

First race post time on Saturday is 12:15 p.m. ET and the Monmouth Stakes is the last at 5:30 p.m. 

Entries: Monmouth S. (G3T)

Monmouth Park, Saturday, June 05, 2021, Race 12

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Pixelate (KY)	Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr.	118	Michael Stidham	5/1
2	2Fame to Famous (KY)	Heman K. Harkie	118	John P. Mc Allen	30/1
3	3Winters Back (KY)	Paco Lopez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
4	4Devamani (FR)	Nik Juarez	118	Chad C. Brown	7/2
5	5Serve the King (GB)	Dylan Davis	118	Chad C. Brown	3/1
6	6Tribhuvan (FR)	Carlos J. Hernandez	124	Chad C. Brown	7/2
7	7Oceans Map (KY)	Jose C. Ferrer	118	Gregory D. Sacco	30/1
8	8Megacity (KY)	Jomar Torres	118	John D. Stephens	20/1
9	9Corelli (KY)	Jevian Toledo	122	Jonathan Thomas	6/1
10	10Kitten's Spa (KY)	Heriberto Figueroa	118	Jose Lozano Sanchez	30/1
11	11West Will Power (KY)	Nik Juarez	118	Kelly J. Breen	7/2
12	12Andrez Conquist (FL)	Carlos Montalvo	118	Melvin Moises Ovando	30/1