Get Serious game in Red Bank

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Get Serious won a third straight stakes at Monmouth Park, holding off Pleasant Strike by a neck Sunday in the

A 5-year-old New York-bred gelding trained by John Forbes, Get Serious started the stakes streak in the Battlefield on July 11 and secured another win in the off-the-turf Oceanport on the Haskell Day undercard.

In all three races, Get Serious scored a front-running victory with Pablo Fragoso aboard.

The difference in the Red Bank was the pace scenario. In the last two wins, Get Serious showed the way on a comfortable lead. In the Red Bank, Get Serious was under the gun from the start as Jet Propulsion applied relentless pressure through fractions of 23.40, 46.25 and 1:09.28.

Turning for home, Jet Propulsion was done - but the closers were revving up. Get Serious dug in as Pleasant Strike split rivals late to launch a bold upset bid at 9-1.

Observing that Get Serious lost a shoe on the final turn, Forbes credited the horse with a game effort.

"It was a terrific race," Forbes said. "We were astonished that the pace was what it was, and that he kept running. To run as good as he did for part of it missing a shoe is just tremendous."

As to the next start, Forbes is considering a statebred stakes at Belmont or the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger on Oct. 3 at the Meadowlands.

The time was 1:33.02 for the one mile on firm turf in the final graded stakes of the meet.

Steve's Double was third, followed by Mambo Meister, Kiss the Kid, Brave Tin Soldier, Pick Six and Jet Propulsion.

* Big Push ($15) edged Ju Jitsu Jax by a neck in the $60,000 Gilded Time Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf, avenging a loss to that rival in the West Virginia Sprint Derby.

Elvis Trujillo was aboard as Big Push set the pace under pressure with Ju Jitsu Jax never far behind in third.

Trained by Steve Klesaris, Big Push earned his fourth win in 12 starts. The time was 1:01.30 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.