Miss Leslie surges in Serena's Song stretch
Miss Leslie earned the fifth stakes victory of her career Sunday when she captured Monmouth Park's $100,000 Serena's Song Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards.
The Serena's Song was the featured event on Monmouth's nine-race opening-day program. The track was scheduled to begin its 62-day meet on Saturday, but heavy rain and winds forced that card's cancellation.
The Serena's Song was eventful, to say the least.
Wholebodemeister was a late scratch after rearing up and getting tangled in the gate. Moma Tiger also broke through the gate prior to the start but was corraled before she ran off. Favored Cafe Society broke terribly, spotted the field many lengths, raced in and among horses, and failed to threaten.
Flight to Shanghai and Moma Tiger did break cleanly from the two outside post positions and cleared to the lead through an opening quarter in 24.14 seconds. They were joined on the backstretch by a three-wide Miss Leslie after a half-mile in 48.60.
Flight to Shanghai and Miss Leslie drew away on the second turn with Miss Leslie traveling best under jockey Angel Cruz.
Miss Leslie powered away in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:42.14 over the fast track. Moraz got up for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Flight to Shanghai. Then came Leader of the Band, Oliviaofthedesert, Moma Tiger, Cafe Society, Stand for the Flag and Misty Taste. Miss Leslie returned $8.40 as the second choice in the wagering.
"She's getting better all the time," trainer Claudio Gonzalez said via telephone interview after the Serena's Song. "When I saddled her today, she looked really good."
Miss Leslie began her 4-year-old season with a runner-up effort in Aqueduct's Ladies Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 16. She placed third, also as the favorite, in Laurel's Nellie Morse at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 19. In her final start prior to the Serena's Song, she ran an uncharacteristically poor race, placing eighth of 12 in the Heavenly Cause around Laurel's one-turn mile on April 16.
:: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more
All five of Miss Leslie's stakes victories have come around two turns and Gonzalez believes that is the key to her success.
"When she runs two turns, I don't know if she knows, but it's a big difference," Gonzalez added. "She really finishes up."
Bred in Kentucky by Maxis Stable, Miss Leslie is a daughter of Paynter. She was claimed for Gonzalez on behalf of BB Horses for $25,000 out of her third start, a maiden victory at Laurel Park on Nov. 13, 2020. Miss Leslie has won eight times from 20 starts and has earned $465,650.