Big Brown wins $500K Monmouth Stakes

An eager crowd packed Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport on Saturday to watch Big Brown compete in his final tune-up before the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, and as he did just over a month ago in the Haskell Invitational, Big Brown delivered.

The Kentucky Derby- and Preaknesswinning horse thrilled a crowd of 17,047, displaying championship form as he dug in gamely when challenged to win the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes presented by IEAH Stables by a neck over the hardcharging Proudinsky.

Big Brown defeated older horses for the first time in the inaugural running of the Monmouth Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf, and now appears poised to challenge for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

"I think he's ready today," jockey Kent Desormeaux said. "If the Breeders' Cup were today, he would be ready. He's come full circle since whatever happened in the Belmont Stakes."

Desormeaux put the son of Boundary on engine from the start, and Big Brown entered the stretch with a clear lead. The closers came after him in the final furlong, with Proudinsky getting within a head before Big Brown responded to the challenge and fought back bravely to hold his rival safe to the wire. Big Brown sent off the 3-5 favorite in the field of nine, paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. He topped an $11.40 exacta with Proudinsky, who went off the second choice at 5-2 and paid $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Shakis, who finished just a half-length behind Proudinsky, paid $2.80 to show.

The winner, trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., set all the fractions over a turf course labeled "good" after overnight rains.With Get Serious chasing him most of the first mile, he ran the quarter in :23 2/5, the half in :46 4/5 and the six furlongs in 1:11 1/5. Big Brown hit the furlong pole in 1:35 1/5 for the mile, and then finished up in 1:47 2/5, sharp time considering the softened condition of the course. Big Brown earned a prize of $300,000 for his owners — the partnership of IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr., Gary Tolchin, Andrew Cohen and Pegasus Holdings Group. That brought his career earnings to $3,576,700. Desormeaux, who has been aboard in all of Big Brown's races this year, was thrilled by today's effort.

"Except for his last race, the Haskell, I've never asked him to break," he said. "Today when the gates opened, I chirped at him and he responded. It made a huge difference going into that first turn when that other horse (Get Serious) left his side. When that happened, he focused and calmed down.

"I think he showed you what kind of heart he's got. When Proudinsky did get to his neck, I knew we had him. My horse just resurged and kept digging all the way to the wire."

Dutrow was proud of Big Brown's display of courage.

"I thought they were going to pass him," the trainer said. "He put in so much effort early on. He's got a lot of heart and determination - everything good about the racing game we saw today.

"This race was not the end of the world for us, but we needed it for timing for the next race. To win it was great. Now we can go to the next race with confidence. All he needs to do is like that track (synthetic surface at Santa Anita)."

Michael Iavarone, co-CEO of IEAH Stables, was also proud of the way Big Brown performed, particularly down the stretch.

"The way he dug down this afternoon showed his true heart and his true courage," Iavarone said. "There is nothing he can do that will surprise me anymore.

"I got a little worried after the quick early fractions, especially with that horse (Get Serious) rating in just behind him. In the lane, I watched the way Kent was riding, and once I saw he was still riding with confidence, I was able to relax."

Ramon Dominguez, who rode Proudinsky, was surprised that his horse was unable to pass Big Brown, crediting Big Brown with holding on for the win.

"We got a good trip and I thought I was going to get to him in the lane," Dominguez said. "But once he felt me to his side, he just dug in. We got up to his head and he just fought right back."

Long Branch native Joe Bravo, who rode Shakis, also thought he had a shot at victory.

"At the top of the lane, I thought I was going to get Big Brown," he said.

"When the horse got to him, he just fought right back. He didn't care that he was tired, he just wanted to beat the horses to his outside.

"I underestimated Big Brown," Bravo added, "until today, when he showed what kind of horse he is."

Sunday stakes go to Cozzi Capital, Paris Winds & J Z Warrior

Cozzi Capital closed with a rush to capture the first division of the $70,000 Revidere Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday as Paris Winds came home on top in the second division.

Earlier in the day the Bill Mott-trained J Z Warrior, the 3-10 favorite, ran away from her competition in taking the $60,000 Light Hearted Stakes by nine lengths.

Trained by Herman Wilensky, Cozzi Capital went the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course rated "good" in 1:41 2/5 and returned $8.40, $4.40 and $3.20 in the field of nine older fillies and mares. It was a nose back to Oh Deanne O, who completed the $57.40 exacta and paid $8 and $4. Diamond Dina, the pacesetter, was another length and a quarter back in third, good for a $6.40 show mutuel.

"On the turn, I was just waiting for room so I could pull the trigger," said winning jockey Carlos H. Marquez Jr. "Once I did pull the trigger, she just kicked it in gamely for me and dug in until the wire."

The Revidere win was the first in five starts this season for Cozzi Capital, who races in the colors of D and E Horses and Herman Wilensky.

Paris Winds bided her time early before unleashing a furious stretch drive to run down Audacious Chloe in the second division of the $70,000 Revidere Stakes, drawing off to a 2 1/2 length score. The Bill Mott-trainee covered the mile and a sixteenth over good turf in 1:41 1/5 and paid $3.80, $2.20 and $2.10 as the favorite. Audacious Chloe paid $3.20 and $2.40 and completed the $7.80 exacta. Trensa was another length back in third and paid $2.80 to show.

"This is a real nice filly," said winning jockey Joe Bravo. "I took her off the pace and got her to relax. When I called on her to run, she just took off."

Paris Winds, an Irish-bred daughter of Galileo from the Kris mare Lil's Jessy, scored for the third time in seven starts this year.

J Z Warrior, a daughter of Harlan's Holiday, covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:08 4/5 and returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 as the odds-on choice in the filed of five 3-year-old lasses. Lucky Mia rallied to complete an $8.40 exacta and paid $4.60 and $3.40. It was another three lengths back to Picturemewithroses, who returned $3.60 to show.