Monmouth Park: Successful Song brings her strong form to Lady’s Secret

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Any trainer would love to have a barnful of overachievers like Successful Song.

A 5-year-old career winner of $332,038, Successful Song makes her fourth start of the meet Monday in the $75,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park.

Her three stakes efforts here this season have all been top-notch. Returning from a layoff of almost five months, Successful Song missed by only a half-length in the Monmouth Beach in late May. She was the dominant winner of the Lighthouse at the end of June before rallying for second in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher on the Haskell Day undercard.

“She’s an overachiever, and she’s been an overachiever since we’ve had her at 2,” trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said of the mare, a Live Oak Plantation homebred. “She just goes out there. She’s a professional who tries hard every time she runs, and she’s doing good right now.”

Successful Song landed the outside post with Angel Serpa aboard against eight rivals going 1 1/16 miles in the last open stakes of the meet.

The Lady’s Secret came off the bench to pinch-hit for the Icecapade, a sprint stakes that did not fill. The Lady’s Secret, originally slated for Aug. 26, was brought back as an “extra” race and benefited from the added time.

The field includes Withgreatpleasure, winner of the Unbridled Belle Stakes at Delaware Park, and Afleeting Lady, a disappointing sixth in the Molly Pitcher.

Withgreatpleasure, based at Monmouth with trainer David Nunn, makes her first appearance at the home track since running third last summer in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. The 4-year-old earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure last time out in her victory by a head in the Unbridled Belle.

Daniel Centeno has the return call on Withgreatpleasure, who is coupled in the wagering with Tuffy Too.

Afleeting Lady was well backed at 2-1 in the Molly Pitcher after running a distant second to Royal Delta in the Grade 2 Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. She figures to be a more prominent pace factor in this race with Chris DeCarlo, winner of a Monmouth stakes each of the last two weekends, aboard.

Street Crew, Daddy’s Honor, Daring Reality, My Sweet Emily, and Snow Fall complete the field.

After Monday’s card, Monmouth cuts back to a Saturday and Sunday schedule for the balance of the meet through Oct. 7.