Monte Man wins fourth straight with Costa Rising
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NEW ORLEANS – A return to his native state has worked wonders for Monte Man, who has won four straight since leaving New York via claim by trainer Ron Faucheux and heading to Louisiana for statebred races. His latest victory came Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $60,000 Costa Rising for turf sprinters.
Since he was claimed Monte Man has been wearing blinkers, which may have contributed to his improvement. But he’s a terror right now. He had lost five prior races on turf, but his current sharp form helped him put one in the win column.
On Saturday, with an outside trip he prefers, Monte Man rated just behind the leaders and then stormed down the center of the course under Adam Beschizza to win the Costa Rising by 1 1/4 lengths over late-running Rock N Sake, with 7-5 favorite Trust Factor another neck back in third in the field of 12. It was Monte Man’s second straight stakes win, having captured a stakes at Delta Downs last month.
Monte Man ($15.20) covered about 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm course in 1:04.28.
“Out of New York, to Louisiana, and in Louisiana-bred races,” Faucheux said, succinctly outlining some of the reasons Monte Man has improved.
Monte Man’s three previous starts for Faucheux all were on dirt. Faucheux said he ran in the Costa Rising “because there was no other option.”
“He’s gotten better every time,” Faucheux said. “I didn’t know if he’d take to the turf.”
Now Monte Man has far more options going forward. The victory was his seventh in 25 lifetime starts, and he picked up $36,000 to bring his career total to $262,055. Since the claim, for $25,000, he has earned about six times his purchase price for his current owners, Brian Ivery’s Ivery Sisters Racing LLC.
