Force the Pass targets Monmouth Stakes after comeback win

Force the Pass ran so well in his comeback race at Monmouth Park on Saturday that it would have been deemed a success even if he hadn’t won. But the 6-year-old put his nose down at the right moment in the $75,000 Cliff Hanger and, following a lengthy photo review, was determined to have beaten Irish Strait, who put in a very good effort of his own off the bench.

The Cliff Hanger, which certainly lived up to its name, was the first start for Force the Pass in more than 19 months. He came out of his last race with a condylar fracture to a hind leg and had two surgeries – one to insert four screws to stabilize the injury and another to remove most of the hardware.

Trainer Alan Goldberg watched the race with Force the Pass’s owner and breeder, Richard Santulli, who owns the Colts Neck Stable training center not far from Monmouth.

“I thought he got beat,” Goldberg said. “I told the boss, ‘At least we won’t pick up any weight,’ and he laughed. He was on his way to the parking lot when they posted the numbers. I had to call him.”

Goldberg said Force the Pass wasn’t very tired following the race and would be pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth, a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes on May 26.

Force the Pass is now 5 for 14 with earnings of more than $1.3 million. He won the $500,000 Penn Mile and the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in back-to-back starts in 2015.

Goldberg had Force the Pass ready for the Cliff Hanger off seven works at Colts Neck.

“It’s just he’s a good horse,” Goldberg said. “Good horses do good things. I think he’ll be a little better for the next one.”

Jevian Toledo, Goldberg’s go-to guy in Maryland, came in for the mount.