American Border just hangs on at Monmouth

OCEANPORT, N.J. - American Border held off Quiet Meadow by a head Friday to win the $70,000 Miss Liberty Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf before 10,656 at Monmouth Park.

It was a paceless race on the course rated good after an early-afternoon rain shower. Royalties dawdled along on the lead through fractions of 26.02, 52.73 and 1:17.31 with American Border closely tracking. American Border ($16.20) took a narrow lead in midstretch and 5-year-old had enough left to defeat Quiet Meadow.

"I knew my horse was still fresh and felt good turning into the lane," jockey Elvis Trujillo said.

American Border earned her 10th win in 41 starts, securing her biggest victory since the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at the Meadowlands last October. Trained by Jason Servis, American Border ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.27.

It was second straight narrow defeat here for Quiet Meadow, following a neck loss in the Grade 3 Eatontown Handicap on June 7.

Captain's Lover was third followed by Royalties, All Is Vanity, Sunshine for Life, Datts Our Girl, and Cozzi Capital.

Mr. Prospector: Go Go Shoot again

Go Go Shoot ($4.60) beat Timely Advice by a half-length in the $75,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes.

In contrast to the Miss Liberty, the sprinters on the main track zipped along, running the six furlongs in 1:08.74.

It was the second straight Monmouth stakes win for the 4-year-old Go Go Shoot, who is trained by Bruce Levine and was ridden by Eddie Castro. He dominated the Longfellow Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths on June 6.

This was a far more competitive race as Go Go Shoot battled Secretintelligence for the early lead, held off a bold bid from Unwritten on the turn, and dug in to withstand the stretch bid of Timely Advice.

Unwritten ran third, followed by Who's the Cowboy, Actin Good, and Secretintelligence.