Itsmyluckyday convincing in Majestic Light Stakes win

Itsmyluckyday cruised to a widely expected victory Saturday in the $74,500 Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The win, the second straight of the 4-year-old’s comeback, has trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. thinking the colt might now be ready to tackle the big boys in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 7.

“He’s supposed to be a top horse, and I think he’s going to show that he is,” Plesa said. “I’m looking forward to the day that we can run against Palace Malice and those type horses, so he can prove if he’s good enough or he’s not. We have to find out. I don’t know if the two-week turnaround is a little bit quick for him. I’ll have to see what it looks like, talk it over with the ownership, and see what we decide.”

The Majestic Light was Itsmyluckyday’s return to Monmouth for the first time since suffering a pelvic fracture here last summer in the Pegasus Stakes.

The injury healed through rest, not surgery, but it wiped out the second half of a promising 3-year-old season in which he ran second in the Florida Derby and the Preakness.

Itsmyluckyday came back in March, finishing fourth to Palace Malice in the Gulfstream Park Handicap.

He easily won his next two against modest company, and now Plesa is looking to up the ante.

If the Met Mile is deemed too close, the Grade 3 Salvator Mile here July 6 is under consideration.

Itsmyluckyday was eager from the start of the Majestic Light. He quickly sprung into action, prompting the pace set by Spa City Fever.

For stretches of the race, Itsmyluckyday appeared to toy with the competition. He briefly engaged Spa City Fever down the backstretch and while Code West ranged up on his outside flank.

The brief three-way duel quickly dissolved when Paco Lopez gave the signal on the final turn.

“I just let him run his race,” Lopez said. “When I let him go, I knew I had a lot of horse. He was really comfortable.”

Itsmyluckyday easily scooted clear, coasting home to a 1 1/4-length win over Code West in 1:41.66 for the one mile, 70 yards on the fast track.

“He had everything under control, and Paco geared him down the last sixteenth of a mile,” Plesa said. “The margin could have been greater than it was, but that wasn’t what it was about. It was about getting another race into him against a competitive field of horses. He passed this test with flying colors as far as I’m concerned.”

Itsmyluckyday paid $2.60 to win.

Spa City Fever was third, followed by Golden Itiz and Behemoth.

Lopez, who set the Monmouth record with seven wins one week ago, had four wins on the card.

The Majestic Light unfolded before a crowd of 10,248 lured by the start of the holiday weekend and the return of the popular Food Truck Festival.

Rain arrived late in the day, falling gently as the horses paraded to post for the Majestic Light.

** The four turf races were switched to the main track.

** Trainer Derek Ryan said his unbeaten 3-year-old sprinter, Meadowood, could wind up in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes at seven furlongs on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

“We’ll take a look to see who’s in it,” he said. “The distance certainly won’t bother him.”

Meadowood improved to 3 for 3 last weekend with a three-length victory in the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes on the Preakness undercard.