Sacred Life, Stolen Holiday Score on Grass at Monmouth
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Photo: Bill Denver/ EQUI-PHOTO
Sacred Life surges clear to take the Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park
Two races after Chad Brown's heavily favored Fluffy Socks was defeated in the Eatontown Stakes (G3T), the trainer's Sacred Life ran true to his even-money odds with an authoritative score in the $162,000 Monmouth Stakes (G3T) June 18.
On a breezy afternoon at the Jersey Shore, Sacred Life raced like the well-traveled professional he is, settling comfortably in midpack position early on under pilot Manny Franco. Up front, Monmouth Park-based rider Jose Ferrer and 58-1 longshot Epic Bromance issued a moderate and controlled pace on a course that had been playing favorably all day to frontrunners. With last year's Queen's Plate hero Safe Conduct sitting just off his flank, Epic Bromance showed the way through splits of :24.05, :48.22, and 1.12.69, clinging to his advantage as he led the field into the stretch run.
"I was in the position I wanted and (Sacred Life) did the rest," Franco said. "I didn't want to give him too much to do. But when I asked him the horse responded. He can go even longer if they want him to do that. He just floats."
Sacred Life, who had advanced swiftly with a three-wide move around the bend, closed resiliently down the center of the track, tearing past Safe Conduct and a gallant Epic Bromance in the final sixteenth. Sacred Life finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Safe Conduct in a solid time of 1:47.70 for the 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf.
The pace-setting Epic Bromance settled for third, a half-length behind Safe Conduct.
Despite Sacred Life's favoritism ($4.20), the trifecta paid a stiff $189.05 with Epic Bromance's surprise showing.
Although Sacred Life has been a tick below the top level turf stars in the powerful Brown stable, the bay ridgling has nonetheless proven a consistent stakes performer for owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Caruso since arriving stateside from his native France in 2019. Now 7, the son of Siyouni captured this third graded victory and boosted his earnings over the $823,000 mark after the Monmouth Stakes.
"This horse can race almost anywhere and he has proven that," Brown assistant Luis Contreras said. "We knew he liked this track (winning the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2020). He was in a perfect spot."
Sacred Life was bred by Mr. Viktor Timoshenko and Mr. Andriy Milovanov in France and is the third winner produced from the Montjeu mare Knyazhna . Knazhna's youngest progeny is an unraced 2-year-old son of Kingman named Feed the Flame.
Video: Monmouth S. (G3T)
Stolen Holiday Steals Eatontown on Front End
In a field loaded with graded stakes-winning fillies, it was Annette Allen's Stolen Holiday that pulled off the heist of her career when she swiped the $152,500 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) earlier on the card in frontrunning fashion under jockey Jose Lezcano.
Stolen Holiday captures the Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park
A sibling to three group 1 winners, Stolen Holiday has been slow to mature for trainer Shug McGaughey. After breaking her maiden last October as a 4-year-old, the daughter of War Front captured a Tampa Bay Downs allowance optional claiming race in February before finishing second in her stakes debut in the Sand Springs Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Gulfstream Park. Back at McGaughey's Belmont home base, Stolen Holiday struggled over the soft going in the Beaugay Stakes (G3T), finishing far behind victorious winner Rougir .
"The race in the Beaugay last time out came up really soft and that’s not what she wants," McGaughey said. "I wouldn’t have run her today if it wasn’t a good, firm turf. She’s got speed and the speed horse (Por Que No ) scratched and Jose Lezcano was smart enough when she broke well to put her on the lead and let her set the fractions."
Racing freely on the front end, Stolen Holiday lulled through a :25.51 first quarter and :50.61 half-mile, causing Princess Grace , who was making her season debut in the Eatontown, to give jockey Mike Smith quite a fight down the backstretch behind slow fractions in fourth. Brown-trained stablemates Fluffy Socks and Lemista , running in last and second to last, respectively, through the early going, launched sweeping rallies around the turn after Lezcano nursed Stolen Holiday through six furlongs in 1:14.22.
"This (win in the Eatontown) was not unexpected—but I really didn’t know what to expect," said McGaughey. "When they threw up that :25.51 first quarter and :50.61 to the half I thought they would have a hard time beating her.”
With plenty left in the tank, Stolen Holiday threw down a sharp final quarter, opening up two lengths at the eighth pole and surging under the wire a length clear of barnmate and defending Eatontown titleholder Vigilante's Way.
Stolen Holiday ($18.40) stopped the timer in 1:42.30 for the 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course. Lemista outdueled Fluffy Socks by a neck for third. Second choice Princess Grace flattened out in the stretch to finish last of the seven.
Bred by Orpendale in Kentucky, Stolen Holiday was a $750,000 acquisition for Northshore Bloodstock at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale from the Denali Stud consignment. She is out of the group 2-winning Sadler's Wells mare Silk and Scarlet , the dam of group 1 winners Master of Hounds , Eishin Apollon , and Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) victress Minorette . The dam has a yearling filly by Justify and was last reported in foal back to that stallion this year.