The Critical Way shows off solid form with Get Serious triumph
The Critical Way is a 7-year-old who raised his game to a new level early in 2021, but this was no quick form peak from a sharp horse bound to drop back to his previous baseline. The Critical Way put forth his fifth straight high-end performance and it was easily good enough to win the $75,000 Get Serious Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Narrowly beaten last month at Pimlico after setting a torrid pace, The Critical Way raced from a close third through the Get Serious’s first furlong as French Reef led Francatelli. When Francatelli started getting out going into the turn, Paco Lopez let The Critical Way roll up to press French Reef, taking the pacesetter’s measure in upper stretch and going on to a three-length victory.
Off splits of 20.11 and 43.34 over a firm, fast-playing grass course, The Critical Way, who paid $3.80, was timed in 55.19 for five furlongs. French Reef held second over Francatelli, whose poor turning caused him to lose his action before the three-furlong marker. Bolder, the 5-2 second choice, dropped straight to the tail of the seven-runner field and never got out of last.
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The Critical Way, by Tizway, out of the Star de Naskra mare Critical Factor, is owned by Monster Racing and trained by Jose Delgado. The Critical Way was a $30,000 claim early in 2020, but blossomed later that year after moving into Delgado’s barn. This season, he has held his own with several top North American sprinters and appears to solidly inhabit their ranks at this point.
“Paco Lopez told me he was very comfortable coming off the pace. That’s a new dimension for him,” Delgado said. “Now we’ve seen he can sit behind the speed and make one move and he can win that way. I like that.”
Delgado said turf sprints at Saratoga and Parx Racing would be on The Critical Way’s radar this summer. “If everything goes right, we will try to take him to the Breeders’ Cup. That’s the plan. That’s the hope,” he said.