Proxy Prevails as Heavy Favorite in Monmouth Cup
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Photo: Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Proxy wins the Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park
Problems can be relative in terms of severity.
Consider the situation facing the Godolphin braintrust.
They own Cody's Wish , the top-ranked horse in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll, who should be favored in the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.
Godolphin also owns one of the better older horses in training in the 5-year-old Proxy . In a normal year, Proxy would be bound for the Whitney. Yet with Cody's Wish slated for that 1 1/8-mile test, a different route was needed for the grade 1-winning son of Tapit .
"Godolphin has the kind of problems you like to have," said Michael Stidham, who trains Proxy.
The solution to that "problem" was delivered July 22 when Proxy was sent off as a heavy 2-5 favorite in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park and registered a highly determined 2 1/2-length victory that eased much of the sting from a rough trip when he was eighth in the July 1 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1).
"The Stephen Foster didn't work out for him. We needed to re-group and with Cody's Wish going in the Whitney it was Mike's call to come here. It wasn't initially on our list but it was a good call to come here and get the win and hopefully get some confidence going again," said Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock.
Prior to the Foster, Proxy won the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G1) and now will likely target the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 2.
"This should set him up for the mile-and-a-quarter races ahead that figure to suit him," Banahan said, referring to the JC Gold Cup and the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
Under Joel Rosario, Proxy showed an unusual amount of early speed in the Monmouth Cup, rushing out to the lead after some bumping at the start.
"Joel didn't want to get into the same problem as the Foster when he got knocked back, so he took him to the front," Stidham said.
Calibrate , a Distorted Humor 5-year-old, and Whelen Springs , a Street Sense 4-year-old bred in Arkansas, pressed Proxy on the backstretch through a half-mile in :48.13 before Whelen Springs dropped back to stalk. Then when the field of seven entered the stretch, Shortleaf Stables' Whelen Springs re-joined them from the outside and for a bit it appeared as if Whelen Springs, a 4-year-old son of Street Sense trained by Lindsay Schultz, would forge to the front.
"I closed my eyes at the eighth pole," Stidham said.
But Proxy dug down in the final furlong, fended off Whelen Springs, and drew clear to cross the wire in 1:49.99 and pay $2.80.
Josh and Rick Engel, Greg Armatys, and Chelsey Badura's Calibrate was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third for trainer Jamie Ness.
A homebred, Proxy is a son of the Include mare Panty Raid and posted his sixth win in 18 career starts while pushing his earnings over the $2 million mark to $2,024,970.