Golden Brown continues Monmouth dominance in Hesse Handicap

Golden Brown kept a perfect record at Monmouth Park this season intact with a victory Sunday in the $100,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap for New Jersey-breds. It was the richest of three statebred stakes on a card that also featured the $75,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap and $75,000 Eleven North Handicap.

The Pat McBurney-trained Golden Brown opened his season with a second-level allowance optional claiming win on dirt May 11, then doubled up in statebred turf stakes, taking the Dan Horn in June and Irish War Cry in July. From there, he was sent to Saratoga for a shot in the Grade 3 Alydar on dirt, in which he finished a creditable third.

Sunday's Hesse was also contested on dirt, and Golden Brown saved ground on the inside under Paco Lopez through the early going before slipping off the rail and rallying to a two-length victory over Love Is Your Name. The winner completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.89 and returned $4.80 as the second choice in the six-horse field.

Sunny Ridge, the heavy favorite, finished third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Love Is Your Name.

“The trip couldn’t have been better and he showed up and ran his race,” McBurney told Monmouth Park publicity. “He’s developed nicely as a 4-year-old. The fact that the Jersey-bred program is looking good again and he happens to be a Jersey-bred, it’s just a blessing that we’ve worked out a nice schedule for him and he’s won three stakes now at Monmouth this year.”

Golden Brown, a gelded son of Offlee Wild, is campaigned by a partnership that includes ABL Stable. He has now won seven of 17 starts for earnings for $472,0000.

Favorites also endured defeats in the other two stakes on the card. In the six-furlong New Jersey Breeders' Handicap, 8-1 Pnutbutter Special drew off for a 5 3/4-length victory over top choice Dial Operator, who got bumped at the start. Pnutbutter Special ($19.40) is trained by Carlos Milian for Chick Ridge LLC and was ridden Sunday by Jann Hernandez. The final time was 1:10.17.

The six-furlong Eleven North Handicap, for statebred fillies and mares, went to Blank Paige ($18). She trounced Liz's Cable Girl, who was sent off at less than even money, by 4 1/4 lengths. The final time was 1:10.90. Joe Bravo was aboard for trainer Scott Volk and owner Daniel J. Lopez.