It Can Be Done does what's needed in Nownownow

It Can Be Done got it done with a front-running victory in his stakes debut, the $155,000 Nownownow Stakes on Sunday at the Meadowlands-at-Monmouth meet.

It Can Be Done ($14), a Temple City gelding who races as a homebred for Red Oak Stable, finished third and second in his first two starts in August at the traditional Monmouth Park meet. He put things together to win a Sept. 20 maiden by 4 1/2 lengths on the front end.

It Can Be Done used the same tactics to successfully go from that six-furlong maiden on the dirt to this one-mile race on the turf. He cruised through a moderate opening half of 48.33 seconds while unchallenged on the front end under Jose Ferrer, and had plenty in reserve when Ferrer asked him to run on at the quarter pole, holding sway by 2 1/2 lengths. He finished the mile in 1:37.57.

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“We only sprinted him before this, but the first two starts we had blinkers on him," trainer Gregg Sacco said. "The key was taking them off. He’s bred to run all day. He’s a medium-sized horse with a great length of stride. From his gallops in the morning we didn’t think distance would be a limitation."

The filly Mischievous Dream, sent away favored off a win in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth, held second by a nose over No One to Blame, who came with a mild rally late.