Force the Pass nips Irish Strait in Cliff Hanger Stakes

Despite being away from the races for more than 19 months, Force the Pass looked anything but rusty in the $75,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, winning a head bob over Irish Strait following a long stretch battle.

Force the Pass had not raced since finishing a close third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf cup at Laurel Park in September 2016. Trainer Alan Goldberg said Force the Pass came out of that race sore and eventually was diagnosed with a condylar fracture to a hind leg. Following two surgeries – one to help mend the fracture and another to remove the hardware the surgeons implanted – he was returned to training this winter.

As a 3-year-old in 2015, Force the Pass won the $500,000 Penn Mile and the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in consecutive starts. He came into the Cliff Hanger with a 4 for 13 record and more than $1.2 million in earnings.

"He's just all class," Goldberg said. "He had been training so well for this but when they’re off that long you never know. He showed his class today."

Sawyer’s Hill went to the lead in the Cliff Hanger, a mile turf race, and set fractions of 24.17, and 47.54 while being stalked by Irish Strait, winner of the Grade 3 Red Bank at Monmouth last year. It was several lengths farther back to Irish Force, who settled into a nice rhythm.

Irish Strait moved up to challenge Sawyer’s Hill on the far turn, and nearing the stretch Force the Pass ranged up three wide. The race soon came down to Irish Strait and Force the Pass, and there was nothing separating the two at the finish when Force the Pass put his nose down at the right time under jockey Jevian Toledo, who gave up a day of riding at Laurel Park to take the mount.

Force the Pass paid $8 as the second choice to 8-5 favorite Irish Strait. Force the Pass was timed in 1:33.73.

"Once he got next to the other horse his heart got big and he gave me everything he had," Toledo said. "I’m so thankful to ride a horse like this."

Irish Strait was making his first start since September for Graham Motion. He ran very well.

Dalarna finished willingly at 14-1 to be third but never menaced the top two. Motion’s other starter, Serjeant At Arms, finished fourth.

** A crowd of 20,736 turned out for opening day at Monmouth Park.

Ontrack handle on the nine Monmouth races was $591,090. A total of $3,114,951 was bet on the Monmouth card from all sources.

"It was an enthusiastic crowd that was treated to a great day of live racing complemented by the Kentucky Derby simulcast," said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park.