Get Serious overcomes adversity in Red Bank
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Get Serious turned in one of the gutsiest efforts of his career Sunday to win the Grade 3, $197,500 Red Bank Stakes on the turf at Monmouth Park.
Nothing went his way, and yet the 6-year-old New York-bred gelding prevailed by a neck over Nownownow for his third graded stakes win of the meet before 16,017 on a spectacular early fall afternoon on the Jersey Shore.
Get Serious stumbled badly at the break. He quickly recovered, but that miscue let At the Disco seize the lead.
Get Serious has built a 13-win career largely on seizing the early initiative and dictating the pace. That game plan vanished as Get Serious was thrust into the unaccustomed role of stalker while At the Disco, a big gray New Jersey bred, rambled along on a loose lead.
“He was a little confused because he hadn’t had a horse in front of him in a long time,” said jockey Pablo Fragoso.
Get Serious, put to a drive by Fragoso on the final turn, collared and passed At the Disco. Get Serious was in the clear by the stretch gap where the turf chute meets the main course. The job, however, was far from finished as Nownownow kicked into gear and was charging hard. As he often does, Get Serious dug down to fend off the final challenge.
“There is not much to say,” trainer John Forbes said. “He had been training great. Maybe he’s a pretty good horse.”
The world outside Monmouth Park might get a glimpse of just how good. Depending on how Get Serious comes out of the race, Forbes will consider the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
“I guess we can’t rule out Kentucky,” Forbes said.
With the win, Get Serious improved to 10 for 13 on Monmouth’s turf course. He is now 6 for 7 in one-mile grass races.
Get Serious paid $3.20 to win and he ran the one mile in 1:32.37 for his second straight win in the Red Bank.
Nownownow was 4 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Boots Ahead. At the Disco was fourth followed by Strike Again and Legal Move.
* Wildcat Brief circled the field on a six-wide sweep to win the $94,500 Icecapade Stakes.
Elvis Trujillo was aboard for trainer Ben Perkins Jr. as Wildcat Brief ($12.40) ran the six furlongs in 1:11.10.