Highly Motivated, Search Results Deliver for Brown
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Photo: Nikki Sherman/EQUI-PHOTO
Highly Motivated draws away to win the Monmouth Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park
A promising juvenile and Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) contender last year, Klaravich Stable's Highly Motivated rocketed to a swift victory in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) July 23 at Monmouth Park.
Trainer Chad Brown believes a grueling stretch duel with champion Essential Quality in the 2021 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) took a heavy toll on the son of Into Mischief , who gave the multiple grade 1 winner all he could handle in his final prep before the Kentucky Derby. Drained from his gallant bid in the Blue Grass, Highly Motivated ran 10th in the Run for the Roses.
"Going into the (Kentucky) Derby, he didn't run at all," Brown said. "He went to the sidelines for quite a while. It's really taken me this long to get the horse back from that tough, tough race against Essential Quality (in the Blue Grass). He's finally—over a year later—rounding back into that good form. He required incremental steps. I let him find his legs again to find that sharpness he had."
The 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup was the third start of the year for Highly Motivated, who showed signs of beginning to round back into peak form in outdueling Justify 's half brother Stage Raider in a May 28 allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park. Lining up against six others, the only other formidable rival appeared to be his Chad Brown stablemate, John Gunther, and Eurowest Bloodstock's Pipeline .
Piloted by Flavien Prat, Highly Motivated was positioned near the back of the pack as Pipeline pressed a snappy opening quarter of :23.63 and a half-mile in :47.47. As frontrunner Antigravity gave way around the bend, Pipeline took a brief lead passing the six-furlong marker in 1:10.34 before Highly Motivated loomed into contention with a sweeping three-wide move turning for home.
"I felt like the other horse of Chad Brown's (Pipeline) was traveling really well on the lead, and I wanted to stay close to him," Prat said. "When I asked him to go, he really responded. Every race this year he has stepped up a little more. This was another one."
Highly Motivated surged clear of his stubborn stablemate, hitting the wire in 1:46.53, bettering the previous track record of 1:46 4/5 held by 1985 Kentucky Derby hero Spend A Buck. The record would last only a couple of hours, however, as Cyberknife lowered it again in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) later on the card by racing the same distance in 1:46.24.
Pipeline secured the runner-up slot by 2 1/4 lengths over Informative in third.
"He broke good and was happy to rate, but always in hand and ready to go," said Brown. "That's the Highly Motivated I'm used to, and the horse he was early on the Derby Trail."
Increasing his earnings to $617,375, Kentucky-bred Highly Motivated ($3.60) is the second foal out of stakes-winning Warrior's Reward mare Strong Incentive .
Video: Monmouth Cup S. (G3)
Search Results Bounds Home
Brown and Prat continued their assault on the Saturday card at Monmouth when Lemista edged stablemate Fluffy Socks in the WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3T), and Search Results bounded home an easy three-length winner of the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3).
Search Results wins the Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park
Sent to post as the overwhelming favorite in the seven-horse $400,000 Molly Pitcher, Search Results perched off the early pace of :24.06 and :47.37 in third position and echoed the performance of Highly Motivated as she set her sights on the leaders around the final turn.
"She has great speed out of the gate but she can also rate, as she showed in this race," Prat said. "It worked out well. She was just waiting for me to give her the cue to go."
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Search Results ($3.20) took charge at the quarter pole and streaked away from her rivals. Leader of the Band rallied gamely for second but couldn't threaten the winner. Army Wife outfought Bonny South by a head for third.
The Klaravich Stable colorbearer clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.47 over a track that produced quick times.
"I'm so appreciative Monmouth had this race," Brown said. "It made it an easy decision to come here with her, and the mile and a sixteenth is a good distance for her. Flavien (Prat) did a terrific job, and I really wanted to keep her face clean and not have any dirt in her face from that post (3). If somebody to her outside wants to go, just extract her quick because I think she's tons the best, and I don't want to take any chances. Just park her in the center of the track and see if she can do it today, and she sure did."
A grade 1 winner of the Acorn Stakes (G1) last year as a 3-year-old, Search Results is 2-for-4 on the year, having captured the Ruffian Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in May. Brown indicated that the daughter of Flatter would be steered on a path to the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) this fall.
Bred by Machmer Hall, Search Results was sold to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan for $310,000 as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale out of the Select Sales consignment. She is produced from the graded stakes placed Candy Ride mare Co Cola .