Formful Highland Falls Takes On Tapit Trice in Monmouth

Godolphin’s late-blooming Highland Falls , a son of Curlin   who did not discover his finest stride till age 4, takes his present on the highway as soon as extra when he headlines the $400,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) on the July 20 Haskell Stakes (G3) undercard.

The finely bred Highland Falls did not make his racetrack debut till August of final 12 months for coach Brad Cox, however has been slowly ascending the ranks one step at a time. He started his 4-year-old marketing campaign with a second-level allowance rating at Honest Grounds Race Course & Slots earlier than making the trek out west to Santa Anita Park, the place he rallied to complete an encouraging fourth on the traditional 1 1/4-mile distance within the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Backing as much as 1 1/8 miles within the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) he was runner-up to a front-running Skippylongstocking  and eventually landed his elusive stakes cred when roaring from off the tempo to seize the June 1 Blame Stakes (G3) below the dual spires at Churchill Downs.

Seven weeks later, Highland Falls returns to motion on the Jersey Shore, accompanied by common rider Florent Geroux.

Produced from the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Spherical Pond, a $5.75 million acquisition for Godolphin on the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Blended Sale, Highland Falls appears primed to construct his stallion-making résumé in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile contest for 3-year-olds and up.

Contenders of curiosity within the Monmouth Cup embrace the comebacking Tapit Trice , the winner of final 12 months’s Blue Grass Stakes (G1) for coach Todd Pletcher. The expensive Tapit   colt, owned in partnership by Gainesway and Whisper Hill Farm, resurfaces for the primary time since ending third in final 12 months’s Travers Stakes (G1).

Teresa Pompay-trained Khozeiress , a latest allowance winner over a troublesome subject June 23 at Monmouth, is likely one of the native standouts forward of Saturday’s race.

brown sends out two in quest of eighth matchmaker title

Coach Chad Brown, simply essentially the most dominant coach of turf females on the East Coast, will saddle the formidable pair of Delahaye  and Beaute Cahcee within the $300,000 Matchmaker Stakes (G3T). The Brown secure has been a dominant power within the Matchmaker, seizing seven of the final 9 editions of the 1 1/8-mile turf race.

The coach has nearly as good as probability as any together with his two runners this 12 months. Delahaye, a evenly raced daughter of Medaglia d’Oro  , stormed residence to take the Mint Julep Stakes (G3T) June 2 over a yielding Churchill Downs turf course. Operating for the colours of William H. Lawrence and Three Chimneys Farm, jockey Flavien Prat will pilot Delahaye from the less-than-ideal one gap within the subject of seven.

Breaking from the outermost put up is Delahaye’s stablemate, French import Beaute Cachee. The 5-year-old sprang a 25-1 upset over the extremely regarded English Rose  this previous spring when stealing the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) in front-running style earlier than ending a disappointing seventh within the Only a Sport Stakes (G1T) June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Frankie Dettori has the decision on Beaute Cachee.