Jockey Sonny Leon earned his 1,000th career victory in the $100,000 Maryfield Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday aboard Not Too Late, a 3-year-old filly who endured a grueling three-way speed duel to win by a neck. “It’s been a long dream, to get these 1,000 winning mounts,” the 35-year-old Leon said. “We did it, and I feel so grateful for the people who have given me these opportunities at Monmouth right now. What a way to win my 1,000th race in a stakes.” Leon’s celebration was delayed when Eliseo Ruiz, the rider on runner-up Volleyballprincess, launched a late objection. Though Not Too Late certainly drifted out several paths in the final furlong, the two horses never made contact and stewards did not change the order of finish. “I was a little scared when I saw the objection, but I knew I did my best trying to keep the horse straight,” Leon said. “I never touched the other horse.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Not Too Late, an $18.20 upset winner trained by Uriah St. Lewis, finished seventh in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness last time out and had lost eight straight starts going back to October 2024. She earned her victory the hard way in the Maryfield, however, running outside of two pacesetters through blistering early fractions in the six-furlong sprint. Beyond Belief, the 8-5 second choice trained by Kelly Breen, broke through the gate before the race and had to be reloaded, and when the race eventually began she went straight to the lead on the inside. Volleyballprincess, a stakes winner who finished ninth in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness last time out, pulled alongside her, while Not Too Late hustled in from post 8 to join the duel through an opening quarter-mile in 21.93. At first, it seemed like those three runners were setting up for even-money favorite Layered, but the Chad Brown filly never moved beyond fourth despite a late gain. Completing a half-mile in 44.73 seconds, Leon urged Not Too Late forward to lead by a length and drifted toward the rail after kicking clear on the far turn. “When I saw the Chad Brown horse wasn’t in the first two positions, I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to try to take it on the backstretch,’ ” Leon said. “I got the longshot horse in the race, what do I have to lose? I’m going to make my move and see what happens.” Beyond Belief folded on the inside and settled for third, while Volleyballprincess re-rallied at the top of the stretch and drew alongside the new leader. Both tiring fillies were stubborn while drifting out in midstretch, but Leon and Not Too Late had enough left to win the photo. The colt completed six furlongs in 1:11.13. In May, Leon moved from Tampa Bay Downs to Monmouth Park in search of new opportunities. Long before he became a household name aboard 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, the journeyman rider earned most of his career victories in Ohio. He was the leading rider at Mahoning Valley in 2020 and 2021. When Leon won the Kentucky Derby, that historic achievement coming on an even more improbable upset winner, the jockey dedicated the victory to his parents, who supported his dreams of riding during his childhood in Venezuela. On Sunday, he dedicated his latest milestone to them as well, claiming that his achievements belonged to his family first. Sigh No More wins Boiling Springs Sigh No More, a 3-year-old filly trained by Brendan Walsh, earned her first stakes victory in North America on Sunday in the $100,000 Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth Park. Jockey Axel Concepcion saved all the ground early and managed to squeeze through a tight seam in the stretch for the victory. “She really came back from her last race at Pimlico and had been working very well, almost like the penny dropped with her here,” Walsh said. “It’s a big change when they come from Europe to here, but she was a nice filly in Ireland, too. I thought she showed a nice turn of foot.” The Boiling Springs was Sigh No More’s second start in the United States after she made her debut finishing fourth in the $125,000 Hilltop at Pimlico last month. She won her first stakes race in Group 3 competition at the end of her juvenile season in Ireland. She was a 40-1 winner that day and pulled off a smaller upset on Sunday, paying $12.80 to win. As the field turned for home in the Boiling Springs, the race quickly devolved into a scramble as several runners tried to run down early leader Hidden Quarry. The filly, shipping from Kentucky for trainer Ethan West, kicked out to a two-length lead on the backstretch through a half-mile in 47.48 and was still ahead by 1 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch. As soon as she began to come back to the field, a host of challengers seemed poised to take over. Pretty Lavish, runner-up ahead of Sigh No More in the Hilltop last time out, made the first move tipping out from the rail under Paco Lopez, while 24-1 longshot Notable Exchange swung wide and came flying with a clear path outside. Still last on the far turn, Sigh No More didn’t appear to be a contender until she and Concepcion charged forward on the rail and ducked inside of Pretty Lavish in the stretch. Moving along on the rail, Walsh’s filly was hardly visible until she was unmistakably in front. Moving through a tight gap between Hidden Quarry and Pretty Lavish, she burst forward to a 1 1/2-length victory, finishing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:42.32. The filly left Irish-bred rival Pretty Lavish behind to win a three-way photo for second over Hidden Quarry and Notable Exchange. It was Concepcion’s second stakes victory at Monmouth this weekend, as the jockey was aboard 3-year-old colt Tom’s Magic in the $100,000 Tale of the Cat on Saturday. Sigh No More stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on Sunday and Walsh intends to give her even more distance this summer. He mentioned the Grade 3 Pucker Up, a 1 1/8-mile race at Ellis Park, as her potential next start in early August, but he is also considering races at Kentucky Downs and Saratoga. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.