Monmouth-Winning Fillies Target Molly Pitcher
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Natalie Victoria and Majestic River, who each registered listed stakes wins at Monmouth Park in their previous starts, are to face one another for the first time in the $200,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. II) July 27 at the Oceanport, N.J., track.
The two recent Monmouth stakes winners drew the outside posts among the nine older fillies and mares entered in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile race, with Majestic City on the far outside.
James Riccio's Natalie Victoria enters the Molly Pitcher off a front-running 3 1/2-length romp in the Monmouth Beach May 25, a race contested at one mile and 70 yards. That win marked the first stakes victory in the four-season career of the 6-year-old daughter of Indian Ocean .
While Natalie Victoria took 32 starts to register her first stakes win, she appears to have reached a new level, winning four of her past five starts. The Monmouth Beach victory followed a two-length score in an allowance/optional claiming race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Her trainer, Michelle Nevin, also is enjoying a strong season after registering a 26% win rate (9-for-35) at the Belmont Park spring-summer meet.
Nevin has three stakes wins since becoming a trainer last year.
George Bolton, Barry Lipman, and Natrona Racing Stable's Majestic River enters off a two-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Lighthouse Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher. The multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer boasts a 22% career win rate in Monmouth Park stakes races.
Rosie Napravnik is scheduled to ride Majestic River, a 4-year-old A.P. Indy filly, for the first time. Majestic River has won three of her past four starts.
Multiple stakes winner Montana Native seeks her first graded win for owner Castleton Lyons. Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Yes It's True filly just missed by half a length in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) at Delaware Park June 14 after pressing the issue all the way.
Triple Arch and Blue Violet both enter the Molly Pitcher off allowance/optional claiming wins.
[raceEntries date="7/27/2014" country="USA" trackid="Mth" racenumber="7"]