Horologist celebrates homecoming with Molly Pitcher win

New Jersey-bred Horologist capped New Jersey’s biggest annual day of racing in emphatic style, scoring her second graded stakes victory in her home state as she posted a mild upset in the Grade 3, $250,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes on Saturday evening.

The major puzzle of the race was multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire She’s a Julie, who was never seriously involved and faded to seventh in the field of 10.

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Horologist ($9.40) was looking for redemption off a puzzling last outing. The 4-year-old Gemologist filly, who is trained by Bill Mott for the partnership of There's A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Abbondanza Racing, won three races at Monmouth last year. After taking the Smart N Classy Handicap against older statebreds, she stepped into open company to defeat Eclipse Award champion Jaywalk by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. But Horologist went winless in her next six outings, and in her race prior to the Molly Pitcher she was pulled up and walked off after taking an awkward step in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes on May 31 at Santa Anita.

“Sometimes the horse goes to something new that they’re not familiar with," owner Cameron Beatty of There's A Chance explained the strange outing at Santa Anita. "It’s all a risk. Me and my partners took the risk. We regrouped and we decided to bring her back to Monmouth Park. We knew she loved it here."

On Saturday back at Monmouth, Horologist stalked the pace early and was in prime position in second under Joe Bravo, a length off longshot Our Super Freak, as the field approached the quarter pole. Our Super Freak dug in gamely through the lane, but under steady urging from Bravo, Horologist wore her down and edged away in the final yards for a two-length score. She stopped the clock in 1:43.48 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Our Super Freak held second, 5 1/2 lengths clear of Royal Flag, who was sent away favored in her stakes debut.

Earlier on the card, Global Campaign led all the way in the Grade 3, $300,000 Monmouth Cup, turning back a pair of foes in the stretch for a 1 1/2-length score. The Monmouth Cup was for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.

Global Campaign ($7), with Jorge Vargas Jr. in the irons for trainer Stanley Hough, was pressed by classic-placed Joevia early. He was never more than a half-length ahead while setting fractions of 23.77 seconds for the quarter, 47.91 for the half, and 1:11.69 for six furlongs. He shook clear of Joevia on the turn, but was confronted by Bal Harbour turning for home. Bal Harbour forged his way to a half-length lead in midstretch and appeared to be headed for home, but Global Campaign turned back that foe and fought his way back to the front along the inside. He then easily held off Grade 1 winner Math Wizard, who rallied from well back to finish second by a length over Bal Harbour.

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Global Campaign stopped the clock in 1:50.47 for the 1 1/8 miles.

“I didn’t like seeing all the pressure on him all race," Hough said. "But I can’t say I’m surprised he withstood it. I had my doubts when he got headed in the stretch by Bal Harbour. But Jorge Vargas rode him good and the horse responded great. He’s a very, very talented horse, so it’s good to see him come back like this. Hopefully he continues to show himself. I’m very pleased with this effort.”

Global Campaign had been racing with blinkers but had them removed for the Monmouth Cup.

"He was kind of rambunctious as a 3-year-old last year and he’d look around and get distracted, so I kept the blinkers on him," Hough said. "But I never felt he really needed them. I just thought it would let him see around a little by taking them off for this race. I’ve been working him without them so he was used to it again. He’s shown from the start that he’s a good horse. He’s well bred and, gosh, he has so much talent. He has kind of been his own worst enemy. But he is finally maturing and maybe we can build from here.”

Global Campaign, a Curlin colt campaigned by WinStar Farm and Sagamore Farm, won last year's Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont and finished third in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga before an extended hiatus from racing. He returned with an allowance-optional claiming victory in April at Gulfstream Park, and was sixth in the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs prior to his trip to Monmouth.