Monmouth: C C's Pal prevails in three-horse Monmouth Beach photo

C C’s Pal came into Sunday’s $75,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes with a tendency to settle for minor awards, picking up four seconds and a pair of thirds in her previous seven starts, all in stakes.

Under pressure from two other rivals in deep stretch, however, C C’s Pal refused to give in, even after being passed, and prevailed by a nose in a three-horse photo at Monmouth Park.

C C’s Pal ($9.60) barely reached the wire ahead of late-charging Sweet N Sour Nina, who nosed out 9-5 favorite Successful Song for second. The winning time for a mile and 70 yards was 1:42.77.

It was the first win for the 4-year-old C C’s Pal, who raced alone on the lead through fractions of 47.36 seconds and 1:12.09, since she took a second-level allowance at Monmouth last June.

“She ran a really game race,” winning jockey Kendrick Carmouche said “She was passed and then came right back. We went easy enough and I thought she would have a lot left. The second she got past she dug in and fought back.”

C C’s Pal, a daughter of Alex’s Pal owned by Eric Fein and trained by Derek Ryan, is now 4 for 19 with earnings of $313,386.

“She’s a flexible filly,” Ryan said. “You can send with her or sit right off the pace. She’s an honest filly and really a trainer’s dream. She’s been stakes-placed eight times and is definitely a filly that deserved to get that stakes win.”