Money'soncharlotte edges Pleasant Mine in Lady's Secret

Money'soncharlotte has come back sharp this season for trainer Kelly Breen and on Sunday improved her 5-year-old record to 2 for 2 by scoring a mild upset in the $76,000 Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Pleasant Mine was bumped and jostled between horses at the start of the mile and 70-yard Lady's Secret, but moved up inside Money'soncharlotte to take a clear early lead. Money'soncharlotte rejoined her from the outside on backstretch and the two set reasonable fractions of 24.80 and 48.68 while being tracked by Eskenformoney, the 3-5 favorite trained by Todd Pletcher.

Eskenformoney briefly moved up to press the pace three wide on the backstretch, but could not keep pace with the leaders for long and dropped back a few lengths. Money'soncharlotte got the best of Pleasant Mine in upper stretch after six furlongs in 1:11.94 and then edged away in the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length.

"She was training good going into the race," Breen said. "Pletcher's horse was the class, but this is why we were in there."

Money'soncharlotte paid $8.40 as the second choice in the six-horse field of fillies and mares. She was timed in 1:40.90.
Pleasant Mine, trained by Anthony Margotta Jr., was clearly second-best, finishing 4 1/2 lengths in front of Eskenformoney.

Money'soncharlotte is owned by George Hall. She is now 5 for 19 in her career with earnings of $278,395. The Lady's Secret was her second career stakes win. She won the $75,000 Hut Hut Stakes at Gulfstream Park West as a 2-year-old. In her start prior to the Lady's Secret, she won a third-level optional-claiming race at Parx.