Strong Impact (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo)
Strong Impact (A. P Jet), claimed by David Jacobson from Bruce Brown and La Marca Stable for $80,000 out of a winning effort at Belmont Park on May 16, won his first start for his new owner/trainer, closing from last to first to capture the $60,000 John McSorley Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday. Two races later, Hangover Kid finished a strong rallying second in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes at long odds. With these performances each horse pushed his earnings over the half-million dollar threshold.
Drawn in post one to go “about” 5 1/2 furlongs over the Monmouth turf, Strong Impact lagged behind the field for the first quarter mile, falling back by as much as six lengths. Picking things up in the far turn and moving three-wide with decision, the 8-year-old gelding began to pick off rivals. Left with three horses still to pass and 1 1/2 lengths to make up in upper stretch, Strong Impact came home driving to win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:01.66. A narrow second choice in the field of seven, Strong Impact paid $5.40 to win. [VIDEO]
Winning jockey Paco Lopez explained that his mount dictated the race strategy. “I tried to get him interested early in the race, but he didn’t want to,” said Lopez. “After that I just let him relax where he wanted to be and came with our run. I was really impressed with him.”
Jacobson felt that Strong Impact’s class prevailed: “I thought we would be closer early, but I talked with Paco after the race and he said he ‘was a little lazy early.’ I was really confident when they hit the eighth pole. He had a lot of class, which is why I claimed him.”
Winner of his first stakes race last summer, the open Fiddlers Patriot at Saratoga, Strong Impact’s second stakes victory improves his record to 10-7-7 from 40 starts and boosts his earnings to $513,611. Claimed previously in August 2011 by Bruce Brown for $35,000, the late-blooming turf sprinter put together a highly successful run, winning six races for those connections and earning additional stakes placings in the Troy at Saratoga and Bonapaw at the Fair Grounds. Strong Impact’s first stakes placing came in the 2009 renewal of the Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes series for trainer Rick Schosberg.
Bred by Donald Flannigan, Strong Impact is one of three winners out of British-bred Sherry Spinner, a winning daughter of Royal Academy purchased by Flannigan for $60,000 at the 2003 Keeneland November sale. She was resold in December 2006, after which she went to Argentina. Her 5-year-old Sheema’s Note is Grade 1-placed in Peru.
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In Monmouth Park’s Sunday co-feature, the Grade 2, $200,000-added Monmouth Stakes run at nine furlongs on the turf, Steve Taglienti’s Four Tags Stable homebred Hangover Kid, a 6-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid trained by Jason Servis, once again surprised his competition with a late run at long odds (19-1), closing from the back of the pack to finish second behind Speaking of Which, a Moyglare Stud homebred trained by Christophe Clement. The Monmouth Stakes is the local prep for the Grade 1 United Nations on July 6.
Breaking from post 12 (of 14) under jockey Gabriel Saez, Hangover Kid crossed over and established himself in 13th position in the two-path, before making his way over the fence before the first turn. Unhurried until late in the far turn, Hangover Kid took the corner neatly and launched his bid from 11th.
Rallying powerfully at the rail in upper stretch, Hangover Kid improved to fifth and kept digging, hitting the wire just 1 1/2 lengths behind Speaking of Which and passing Winning Cause in the final strides to finish a length clear for second. After a mile in a rapid 1:34.65, the winner’s final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:46.32. Hangover Kid completed a $130.40 exacta and returned $14.60 and $8.20.
Winner of one stakes race, the West Point for New York-breds last summer in Saratoga, Hangover Kid last year secured two other graded stakes placings at long odds. He came from last in a field of 12 to finish second in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at odds of 23-1, and mounted a strong late rally to finish third in Monmouth’s Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at odds of 47-1 in a field of eight. His record now stands at 6-7-3 from 23 starts with $505,203 in earnings.
Hangover Kid is the most successful of four winners produced by Absolute Patience, an unraced Maryland-bred daughter of Rakeen. Absolute Patience currently has a 2-year-old filly by Munnings named Hold the Nutmeg and a weanling colt by Looking at Lucky named Revive and Resurge, both registered New York-breds. She was bred back to Lemon Drop Kid in 2013.
