He'spuregold takes this round over There Are No Words in Red Bank
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The Red Bank for older horses at one mile on turf is an open stakes race. The New Jersey-breds didn’t care. He’spuregold, closing determinedly under Paco Lopez, ran down his fellow New Jersey-bred and longtime rival There Are No Words to win the Red Bank on Monday at Monmouth Park.
Sir London finished third, Starstruck Notion was fourth, and 2-1 favorite St Anthony, shuffled back to last into the far turn, could make no late headway, checking in fifth while unable to duplicate his Aug. 16 victory in the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth.
He’spuregold and There Are No Words have faced off at least six times, including three this year, and after the Red Bank, they've each won two races against each other.
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In the Red Bank, There Are No Words ranged up from an outside draw going into the first turn to press the pace of inside speed Ocean City, the opening half-mile going in a reasonable 47.32. Meanwhile, Lopez had He’spuregold stationed just behind the speed, saving ground and biding his time until he sensed that the stalking horses would come forward into the far turn. Before he could get hemmed in, Lopez encouraged his mount to move right onto the tail of the speed, popping outside after There Are No Words took the measure of Ocean City at the quarter pole. He’spuregold had all the momentum at the furlong grounds, stuck his nose in front just past the sixteenth pole, and pushed out to win by a long head.
He'spuregold was timed in 1:36.10 over a firm course and paid $10.20 while winning for the ninth time in 28 starts. Trained by Kelly Breen, He’spuregold is a homebred who campaigns for John Bowers’ Roseland Farm. The 6-year-old gelding is by Vancouver out of Smart N Classy, by Smart Strike. With New Jersey-bred incentives, the $100,000 purse of the Red Bank rose to $127,000.
The long Monmouth meet is winding to the close. Jersey-breds He’spuregold and There Are No Words kept $103,000 worth of Red Bank stakes money in-state.
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