Apollo Ten holds off Roi Soleil in My Frenchman Stakes

Odds-on favorite Apollo Ten shrugged off pacepresser Mattingly and held clear a late run from Roi Soleil to win the $100,000 My Frenchman Stakes, a turf sprint for 3-year-olds, Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Christophe Clement, a native of France, trains Apollo Ten for the Cheyenne Stable, and Jairo Rendon rode the colt to his third win from six starts. Clement had Apollo Ten cross-entered in the Quick Call Stakes on Sunday at Saratoga, but found a better spot for his front-running charge.

Apollo Ten ($3.40 to win as the heavy favorite) broke running and set splits of 22.21 and 44.90 while hounded by 9-5 second-choice Mattingly. Apollo Ten spurted away from Mattingly in upper stretch and opened a lead of 1 3/4 lengths at the stretch call, crossing the line three-quarters of a length better than Roi Soleil, who made a late run to finish one length ahead of third-place Mattingly. Apollo Ten ran 5 1/2 furlongs over a firm course (the temporary rail set at 12 feet) in 1:02.53.

Bred by Candy Meadows, Apollo Ten is a son of Violence and the Midshipman mare Stormy Regatta. He showed talent winning once from three starts at age 2 and has come back a better horse this year, tallying in the My Frenchman after a solid second over the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta surface in the Tom Ridge Stakes last month.

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