War Story Battles to the Wire to Win Monmouth Cup
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Photo: Ryan Denver/ EQUI-PHOTO
War Story (inside) edges Bal Harbour to win the Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park
The heat was definitely on in the Monmouth Park homestretch July 20 as War Story and Bal Harbour dueled to the wire in a thrilling renewal of the $199,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3).
While the handicappers favored multiple graded stakes winner Coal Front in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race—delayed three hours due to concerns over high temperatures—it was War Story who proved to be the most determined runner of the day.
Coal Front showed early speed from the gate, breaking on top to take the lead just off the rail. Bal Harbour moved up to settle in second to the leader's outside as Lemonade Thursday skimmed the rail and tracked the pace in third.
Guided by John Velazquez, Coal Front maintained his command of the field through fractions of :23.58, :47.32, and 1:01.81 for six furlongs. The 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty looked strong along the backstretch but began to waver as Bal Harbour moved up to challenge to his outside as the pack approached the far turn.
Driving hard in the two path, Bal Harbour and jockey Mike Smith got up to edge the leader as the mile went in 1:35.35. The lead did not last long as War Story, under Luis Saez, split the frontrunning rivals in the stretch drive to come on even terms with Bal Harbour.
Leaving their competition in the dust, the battle to the finish became a battle of wills, with War Story and Bal Harbour, running in lockstep, pounding home in the final 100 yards. War Story edged his rival by a head and claimed the victory in 1:47.65 on a fast track.
It was another 12 lengths back to Coal Front in third, followed by Moon Gate Warrior, Lemonade Thursday, and Zanotti.
"It was a pretty clean trip," said Saez. "I broke sharp and wanted to be pushing (Coal Front). When (Bal Harbour) came to us, he really dug in and didn't let him by."
"It wasn't an easy race. Not at all," said winning trainer Jorge Navarro. "We had home-court advantage. He likes this track. What a big race he ran. He's got a ton of heart and a ton ability, still at his age. He wants to do it. He's a happy animal."
The win snapped an eight-race losing streak for War Story, who last visited the winner's circle in March 2018 when he took the Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. With a 7-6-5 record from 35 starts, the gelding improved his earnings to $2,885,305.
War Story's previous graded stakes win came in 2017 when he took the Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.
"The name says what he is. What a warrior," said Navarro. "He's the only one from American Pharoah 's class of 2015 that's still going. It's amazing to have a horse like this still going around. You don't see that anymore."
A 7-year-old son of Northern Afleet, War Story was bred in Kentucky by Jack Swain III out of the Pulpit mare Belle Watling, who also produced grade 2 winner Land Over Sea.
Campaigned by Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis, War Story was purchased for $51,000 by Harry Rosenblum as a 2-year-old from the consignment of de Meric Sales to the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He was offered again at auction to the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale by Darby Dan Farm but went unsold on a final bid of $545,000.