Got Lucky, Stiffed get rematch in Molly Pitcher
Monmouth Park will start its holiday festivities a little early by running the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes on Friday.
The Molly Pitcher, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, has been run on the Haskell Invitational undercard the last three years, but this season, it has been moved up four weeks on the calendar. Its purse has taken a haircut, too, and now is $150,000. As recently as 2010, the Molly Pitcher had been worth $300,000.
Stiffed and Got Lucky finished first and second May 24 in the Monmouth Beach Stakes, the local prep for the Molly Pitcher. Got Lucky was sent off at 9-5, while Stiffed was the longest shot in the eight-horse field at 34-1. Those odds looked correct down the backstretch of the mile-and-70-yard race as Got Lucky tracked two battling leaders and Stiffed trailed the second-to-last horse in the field by about four lengths.
Got Lucky looked home free after easily taking the lead nearing the stretch, but Stiffed was on the move, working her way through the pack. At the eighth pole, Got Lucky held a one-length lead, but Stiffed kept coming and ran by late to win by a half-length. It was almost seven lengths back to the third-place finisher.
Both horses earned career-best Beyer Speed Figures that tower over their opponents’ figures, with Stiffed getting a 96 and Got Lucky a 95.
While Stiffed won’t be 34-1 Friday, many horseplayers are likely to give Got Lucky a mulligan for her Monmouth Beach effort, and she should be favored for trainer Todd Pletcher.
It might be wrong, though, to write off Stiffed as a one-hit wonder. She won her season debut in a first-level optional-claiming race at Gulfstream Park in the same manner and looks to be a vastly improved filly at age 4 for trainer John Mazza.
“She’s training dynamite,” Mazza said. “She grew up a lot over the winter and matured. She had some problems when she was young, but I took my time and tried to develop her, and now I think she’s getting better every time I run her.”
Key contenders
Got Lucky (Last 3 Beyers: 95-80-87)
* She might have gotten a little complacent after making the lead so easily in the Monmouth Beach. Look for Paco Lopez, who has the return mount, to keep her mind on business throughout.
* Got Lucky has finished second in three graded stakes – the Grade 2 Gazelle and Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra last year and the Grade 2 Demoiselle in 2013.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Got Lucky. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 16-2-5-1 with a $0.93 ROI over the past five years on dirt at Monmouth Park with jockey Paco Lopez aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Stiffed (Last 3 Beyers: 96-78-85)
* A New Jersey homebred by Stephen Got Even who races for Holly Crest Farm, she has rallied from last place to win her last two starts. Mazza, 78, has been the private trainer for Holly Crest Farm for decades.
* The pace of this race might not be quick enough to set up her late move.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Stiffed. Trainer John Mazza is 13-3-2-3 with a $8.73 ROI over the past five years with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Shayjolie (Last 3 Beyers: 80-84-83)
* Gets class relief here as her last two starts were in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps and Grade 2 Ruffian, both won by Wedding Toast at Belmont. Wedding Toast has developed into one of the top mares in the country and is 4 for 5 at Belmont.
Oasis at Midnight (Last 3 Beyers: 81-83-83)
* Chased the loose-on-the-lead Power of Snunner home to be second-best in a third-level optional-claiming race at Monmouth last time out. Power of Snunner has romped in three of her last four races, including the Pennsylvania-bred Foxy J.G. Stakes at Parx.
Mary n’ Eileen (Last 3 Beyers: 42-64-76)
* Dueled on the lead in the Monmouth Beach but might be the lone speed in this field.