Megacity brings improving form to Monmouth Stakes

Megacity took a massive step in his most recent outing, when he moved up from a claiming race to face graded stakes foes at Monmouth Park. After giving a fine accounting of himself, Megacity looks to continue his progression in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Monmouth Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on turf as the Meadowlands-at-Monmouth meet continues.

After finishing sixth in a starter-allowance race in April at Gulfstream to start his season for owner and trainer John Stephens, Megacity was second in a conditioned $50,000 claiming race in June at Belmont, and then was second in a conditioned $35,000 claiming race at Saratoga in August. All three races were on turf.

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About five weeks later, he made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes at a mile on turf at Monmouth. Sent away as the longest shot in the field of seven, he stalked the pace and finished second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Analyze It, a multiple Grade 3 winner who also is multiple Grade 1-placed.

Megacity earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96 in the Red Bank, one of the strongest recent figures in Saturday’s field. Bal Harbour posted a 95 in his most recent outing, and Almanaar posted a 103 in his most recent start, but that was more than a year ago.

Megacity is drawn in post 2 under Nik Juarez, who also partnered with him in the Red Bank. The gelding typically stalks the pace. That first flight of the field could be crowded. A confirmed speed horse is just outside him in post 3 in Compound It, who is making his first start on turf. Mr. Alec, another confirmed front-runner, is drawn in the outside half of the gate, as is Sand Dancer, who switched tactics to run on the lead in his most recent outing.

Almanaar rallied from off the pace to win the Monmouth Stakes in May 2019 in his most recent outing. The 8-year-old gelding won the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf in 2017 and finished second in the Grade 1 Arlington Million in 2018. His trainer, Chad Brown, also has entered Serve the King, a Monmouth allowance winner over the summer who was third in the Henry Clark at Laurel last out.

Bal Harbour had a productive summer at Monmouth for trainer Gregg Sacco, finishing third in the Monmouth Cup, Philip H. Iselin, and Salvator Mile, all Grade 3 events on dirt.