Meadowlands: Stretch surge carries Monserrate to Valley Victory crown

Three weeks after his runner-up finish to Breeders Crown champion Maryland in the Kindergarten Series final, Monserrate pounced late and recorded a lifetime-best 1:52 1/5 win in the $447,000 Valley Victory, for 2-year-old male trotters, on Saturday (Nov. 30) at the Meadowlands.

Monserrate was one of five horses vying for early control on approach to the first turn, but David Miller took him just off the pace as Go Dog Go (driven by Todd McCarthy) forged to the front at the end of a 28 second first quarter, only to yield to Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn) on the backstretch. As 7-5 favorite Super Chapter accelerated to a 55 4/5 half, Monserrate stalked from fourth before angling first-over to begin his six-length ascent on the far turn.

Nearing the top of the stretch, Go Dog Go pulled the pocket and took aim at Super Chapter past three-quarters in 1:24 1/5, and their protracted duel in the lane forced Miller to swing three-wide with Monserrate, who worked into a clear third off the home turn. The Chapter Seven-Guinevere Hall colt continued to lift late and surged in the final yards to collar Super Chapter by a widening half-length. Go Dog Go finished third.

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"When he started battling Maryland (in the Nov. 9 Kindergarten final), I couldn't believe that he was hanging with this amazing animal," said Bruce Areman, who shares ownership of Monserrate with William Pollock and trainer Andrew Harris, of the colt's tenacity. "Dave (Miller) said to me tonight that he's a really game animal, he really wants to win. It's hard to teach that. He likes a target and he wants to come after you, and that's what he did."

Monserrate, whose 1:52 1/5 clocking also equaled the stakes record, is now a four-time winner with $332,693 in the bank from 13 starts. As the 3-1 third choice, he paid $8.40 to win.