Wit was immense, winning the Sanford:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
He looks to be the real thing. His sire,
Practical Joke, was a really strong miler type, and he has classical production on his dam side.
Altiqua won the Diana Handicap:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
Harvey's Lil Goil finished 4th. The winner is roan, and the announcer couldn't pronounce 'goil' correctly; obviously not from Brooklyn.
It was an odd day at Monmouth Park. Rain came and went throughout a humid day. There was moisture in the track.
Graceful Princess won the Molly Pitcher:
ww.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/instant.cgi?date=2021-07-17&track=MTH&country=USA&race=10&type=inc&print=o n
Vault and
Mrs. Danvers faded and did not get a piece.
The Haskell will require some discussion.
Mandaloun was pronounced the winner of the race, but
Hot Rod Charlie crossed the line first:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
It looked like
Midnight Bourbon was going to join those 2, and reward all of those who bet the trifecta box, until Hot Rod Charlie veered into Midnight Bourbon's lane and they clicked hooves. Midnight Bourbon almost fell, unseating Paco Lopez (who is OK). Hot Rod Charlie was disqualified after a long inquiry.
Following Sea, who was about 18 lengths behind those 3 at the time of the incident, was awarded 2nd place.
Antigravity floated into 3rd place.
Here is a noisy video of the stretch drive:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1416516303683264513
A big area of discussion should be whether the new rule about crop use contributed to the clipped heels incident. For those of you not familiar with why this would be so, Hot Rod Charlie would surely have been under a left handed crop use in the stretch; this would have moved him to his right and avoided the incident (horses move away from the side they are whipped). The questions are being asked; I don't know if they are being heard. The jockeys haven't said anything that I've heard. But this question is being in the media and the papers. Most of the jockeys are soft spoken and deferential to trainers and officials when it comes to this type of thing; they try very hard to avoid controversy because the trainers are their meal ticket and can treat jockeys like a commodity. They keep their head low and defer to the trainers for comment. Good jockeys were at Monmouth for the big money yesterday: Rosario, Prat, Geroux, Cohen, Lopez are top 10 talents and can ride anywhere in the country. The HISA law is supposed to create common rules across the country. I'm not sure if whipping will be included and if states can institute more severe rules.
Will Mandaloun win two Grade I races this year, but not finish first? That horse deserves a better fate than that distinction. Woody Allen said, "80% of success is just showing up."
An interesting side note, the Meadowlands Pace was also yesterday. It is a huge standardbred race. It too had the winner disqualified to last place.
Charlie May finished first, but interfered with a horse earlier in the race, so was disqualified to 2nd to last.
Lawless Shadow was elevated to first. The track was wet but good.
Express Train won the San Diego Handicap:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
Larry
DevilHorse