Brown Trainees Imposing in Monmouth Cup, Molly Pitcher

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Brown Trainees Imposing in Monmouth Cup, Molly Pitcher
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Search Results wins the Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park

Matched next to the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) and the $600,000 United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park July 23, the Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) and Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) are supporting stakes but are big-dollar contests in their own right. Both dirt races carry purses of $400,000.

Haskell-participating trainers have runners in some of these undercard events, including Jack Christopher 's trainer Chad Brown, who runs Pipeline  and Highly Motivated  in the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup. Brown also runs likely favorite Search Results  in the 1 1/16-mile Molly Pitcher.

Flavien Prat will be aboard both Highly Motivated and Search Results for Brown and Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, while Manny Franco has the ride on Pipeline, who races for John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock.

Highly Motivated, second to champion Essential Quality   in last year's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) in his last attempt at 1 1/8 miles, seeks a breakthrough graded stakes victory in the Monmouth Cup. Most of his experience, including a recent allowance optional claiming victory, has come in one-turn events a mile or shorter.

Pipeline also stretches out after winning a race at a mile by nine lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack April 22. He takes a hike in class from first-level allowance competition.

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Neither of the Brown trainees have won around two turns, though Highly Motivated was beaten only a neck in the Blue Grass.

Both Highly Motivated and Pipeline carry 120 pounds, two pounds fewer than high weight Rough Sea  at 122. The latter, owned by Proud Stable and trained by Bruno Tessore, just won a starter optional claiming at Monmouth by 10 lengths and took the Native Dancer Stakes earlier in the year at Laurel Park.

Search Results is the top weight at 124 pounds in the Molly Pitcher after winning the one-mile Ruffian Stakes (G2) May 8 at Belmont Park before finishing third in the 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) there. In the latter race, she hounded champion Letruska  through blistering splits of :22.75 and :45.23, took command with six furlongs in 1:09.23, and grew fatigued to finish behind Clairiere  and Malathaat , beaten 2 1/4 lengths.

Graded stakes winners Army Wife  and Bonny South  head the opposition.

Both horses were grade 2 winners during their sophomore seasons last year, with the former taking the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course and the latter capturing the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). They are also grade 1 placed.

Army Wife won her last start, the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown, for trainer Mike Maker and owner Three Diamonds Farm.

Late-running Bonny South failed to fire in the Phipps behind the hot pace, finishing a non-threatening fourth, ahead of only Letruska, who was eased.

The Brad Cox-trained Bonny South is reunited with Florent Geroux, who also will be aboard the Cox-trained Cyberknife  in the Haskell.

Joel Rosario rides Army Wife.


Entries: Monmouth Cup S. (G3)

Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 23, 2022, Race 8

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $400,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 3:29 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Antigravity (KY) Paco Lopez 118 Jerry Hollendorfer 12/1
2 2Top Gun Tommy (KY) Albin Jimenez 118 Kelly J. Breen 15/1
3 3Informative (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Dexter Haddock 118 Uriah St. Lewis 10/1
4 4Rough Sea (KY) Samuel Marin 122 Bruno Tessore 6/1
5 5King of Dreams (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Samy Camacho 118 Juan Carlos Avila 8/1
6 6Pipeline (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Chad C. Brown 3/2
7 7Highly Motivated (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 120 Chad C. Brown 6/5


Entries: Molly Pitcher S. (G3)

Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 23, 2022, Race 10

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $400,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:38 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Leader of the Band (PA) Frankie Pennington 122 John C. Servis 6/1
2 2Pennybaker (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Michael Stidham 5/1
3 3Search Results (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 124 Chad C. Brown 3/2
4 4Army Wife (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Michael J. Maker 7/2
5 5Beth's Dream (FL) Paco Lopez 118 Victor Barboza, Jr. 6/1
6 6Shalimar Gardens (NY) Manuel Franco 118 Horacio De Paz 15/1
7 7Bonny South (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1