He’spuregold #3 with Paco Lopez riding past There Are No Words and Jairo Rendon in deep stretch. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Classy Jersey-Bred rallies for head victory in $100,000 Stakes
Tom Luicci/Monmouth Park
OCEANPORT, N.J. – For everything that He’spuregold has accomplished during his career – and there’s a laundry list of significant achievements – the one hole in his resume was the absence of a stakes win in open company.
No longer.
The 6-year-old Jersey-bred gelding turned in a performance that trainer Kelly Breen said might have been the best race of his 28-race career, wearing down fellow state-bred There Are No Words in deep stretch for a head victory in Monday’s $100,000 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park.
In a banner year for state-breds, the 1-2 finish in the 51st edition of the Red Bank Stakes added to those exploits.
The winning time for the mile over a turf course was 1:36.10.
“It’s his first stakes win outside of Jersey-bred competition so it’s a big deal,” said Breen. “I think a mile (where he is six-for-12 lifetime) is his best distance. He was in the right spot in the right pace today. I told Paco Lopez to try to sit the pocket. The rest was up to Paco. We don’t need to tell him too much.
“We’ve talked about this (winning an open stakes race) for years, Mr. John Bowers (the owner and breeder) and I gave him a big congratulations that we finally did it.”
A son of Vancouver, He’spuregold career accomplishments include being named New Jersey’s Champion Turf Horse in 2021, New Jersey’s Champion Older Male in 2022 and 2023 and winning the Irish War Cry Handicap four straight years.
The Red Bank marked his sixth career stakes win and saw him improve to 7-for-12 on the Monmouth Park turf course.
“He might have run the best race of his life today,” said Breen.
Able to stay close to the pace set by Ocean City and the stalking There Are No Words, Lopez coaxed just enough out of He’spuregold to get the victory after a sustained stretch run.
Sir London was third, 1¾ lengths behind There Are No Words.
Favorite St Anthony, running 17 days after winning the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park (He’spuregold was third that day, beaten just 1½ lengths), was a never-in-contention fifth for trainer Neil Drysdale.
“When the grass is a little firm like it was today, he runs well,” said Lopez, who is on the verge of his 11th riding title at Monmouth Park. “When he’s feeling good like he was today he runs good. I let him get comfortable and I was able to stay close to the leaders and that set us up nicely for the finish.
“For sure this was one of his better races, especially looking at the horses he beat today.”
Lopez would know, having ridden the horse in each of his past 17 starts.
Breen, who has won three Monmouth Park training titles, has hinted that this may be He’spuregold’s last year of racing, but now it’s something he may reconsider.
“I don’t know what his future is,” said Breen after He’spuregold increased his lifetime earnings to $595,170 with his ninth career win. “He has surprised me with how well he is doing, and he keeps on doing it. It’s going to be up to Mr. Bowers, and I’ll see what he says.
“I wish I could tell you how much this means to Mr. Bowers (who owns Roseland Farm). He only has two horses in training now after all those years he owned and bred horses. He has this horse and Royal Performance, a 2-year-old who is going to run in the Smoke Glacken (on Saturday) at Monmouth. So I know this means a who lot to him right now.”
He’spuregold paid $10.20 to win in the field of eight 3-year-olds and up.
