Surface to Air Notches 19-1 Upset in Monmouth Cup

After finishing third against Raging Torrent  and Fierceness  in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), the $396,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) seemed like a soft touch for Just a Touch .

His post time of odds of 1-9 only strengthened that belief.

Then Monmouth Park turned into Saratoga Race Course.

Premier Stable's Surface to Air  staged a stunning 19-1 upset as he outdueled Just a Touch through the stretch to land a half-length victory over the heavy favorite July 19 during the Haskell day undercard.

"He's a gritty horse. He always tries and he's never afraid of the competition," said trainer Panagiotis Synnefias, who won his first stakes race.

Surface to Air had plenty of reasons to be fearful of Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing, and Marc Detampel's Just a Touch, who won his two starts before the Met Mile by a combined 17 1/2 lengths.

In contrast, Surface to Air was coming off a third in the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3), when he lost by nearly nine lengths, and was seventh by 14 1/2 lengths in last year's Monmouth Cup.

But in a big turnaround, the 5-year-old son of Midshipman   ran what was called the "race of his of life" by his trainer and track announcer Matt Dinerman.

"When I saw him at the half-mile pole, I was very happy. He definitely ran the race of his life," the 26-year-old Synnefias said about the $30,000 claim in April 2024. "We knew the horse was going to run big. He's a lot more mature than he was last year. It's a great feeling."

Just a Touch, trained by Brad Cox, seemed headed to an easy win as he cruised along through soft fractions of :24.90, :49.55, and 1:13.25 in the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup. But under jockey Florent Geroux, the son of Justify   never led by more than a length over 21-1 longshot Cadet Corps .

Smartly ridden by Samuel Marin, Surface to Air moved up from third around the turn and engaged Just a Touch turning for home. Marin guided his horse to a half-length lead in midstretch and fended off a persistent bid by Just a Touch to regain the lead.

Surface to Air ($41.40) covered the mile and an eighth in 1:49.29.

"He fought hard. The last time I rode him he was in a stakes (the Salvator Mile) as well. We thought he needed the race, so in this race I had confidence in him. When we hit the three-eighths pole, I knew the only horse I had to beat was the No. 4 (Just a Touch) so I said I'd better go. I just asked him for more and he kept on going," said Marin, who notched his first graded stakes win.

Bred in Kentucky by Silverton Hill out of the Congrats  mare Shemazon, it was the fifth win in 21 starts for Surface to Air, who has earned $532,054.

Just a Touch was seven lengths ahead of Kenwood Racing and trainer Kelly Breen's Cadet Corps, a Will Take Charge  gelding.

"It was a tough loss," Geroux said.

Video: Monmouth Cup S. (G3)