OCEANPORT, N.J. – A soggy new chapter in Breeders’ Cup history was written yesterday when three new $1 million races were run in the rain and gloom at Monmouth Park.
In keeping with Breeders’ Cup tradition, upsets abounded and favorites floundered before a surprisingly large crowd of 27,803.
Maryfield paid $18 winning the Filly & Mare Sprint, keying a $374.80 exacta. Nownownow returned $27.20 in the Juvenile Turf on top of a $180 exacta. In the Dirt Mile, Corinthian paid $9.40; the exacta, $60.20.
Filly & Mare Sprint: Fears that Monmouth, long known as a speed track, would become even moreso when it was sloppy and sealed were dispelled when 6-year-old mare Maryfield roared from well off the pace under Breeders’ Cup newbie Elvis Trujillo to outduel another closer, 43-1 Miraculous Miss, by a half-length in 1:09.85 for six furlongs. Miss Macy Sue rallied for third.
Dream Rush, the 3-1 second choice, set a furious pace of 21.29 and 44.19 seconds, had a two-length lead with a furlong to run, but tired to finish fifth. La Traviata, the 2-1 favorite, faded to sixth after chasing Dream Rush early. Their riders, Eibar Coa and Julien Leparoux, blamed the off track.
Maryfield, winner of the Grade 1 Ballerina last out, is a superior mudder who came into this race with a 3-for-4 record on wet tracks.
Juvenile Turf: Trainer Francois Parisel won with his first Breeders’ Cup starter, sending out Nownownow, ridden by Julien Leparoux, to roar from last of 12 over the yielding grass course for a half-length victory over Irish invader Achill Island, the 5-2 favorite. He ran the mile over the yielding turf in a slow 1:40.
Paricel was named trainer of record for Nownownow nine days ago, when his former trainer, Patrick Biancone – set to begin a six-month suspension Nov. 1 – agreed to turn over the horses in his care.
In the post-race interview, Parisel and Leparoux praised Biancone for the work he put into the colt. Biancone was ejected from the Monmouth barn area Thursday morning by the N.J. Racing Commission.
Prussian, unbeaten in his first two grass races, both on firm going, set the pace in the Juvenile Turf, pressed by The Leopard, with Ireland’s Domestic Fund lapped outside those two. They were still running 1-2-3 at mid-stretch but, done in by the soft going, faded through the final furlong as Nownownow and Achill Island charged past them to the outside.
Dirt Mile: Corinthian redeemed his tarnished reputation at 7-2; Discreet Cat, the 3-2 favorite, did not.
Last spring, trainer Jimmy Jerkens’ Corinthian looked like the best older horse in America, winning the Gulfstream Park Handicap and Met Mile. But in two starts since, the Suburban and Woodward, he was beaten 12½ and 10 1/4 lengths.
Cutting back to a mile and 70 yards, he tucked inside behind the pace set by Gotcha Gold, rallied like a rocket around the far turn under Kent Desormeaux and kicked past Gotcha Gold to beat him by 6½ lengths. Discreet Cat, who was undefeated through his first six starts, suffered his third straight loss this year finishing third, 81/4 lengths behind Gotcha Gold, a nose in front of Wanderin Boy.