Nobody Listens splashes to front-running victory in Turf Monster

BENSALEM, Pa. - Given his inside post position and the fact the Parx Racing turf course was an absolute bog, jockey Tyler Gaffalione said he had one plan when he climbed aboard Nobody Listens for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Turf Monster Stakes - put the horse on the lead and see how far he could take them.

“With the one hole and the track condition we didn’t want to mess around,” Gaffalione said. “We figured if he’s best let him prove it.”

On this day, over a turf course that, on any other day, likely would not have been used, Nobody Listens proved best, scoring a front-running, three-length victory over Smooth B in the Turf Monster. The filly Roses for Debra, the 3-5 favorite despite taking on males , finished third, her first loss on turf.

Divots the size of manhole covers were being strewn about during the running of the race. It was so bad that track officials took the next race, the $100,000 Alphabet Soup, off the turf while the horses were on their way to the paddock.

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Nobody Listens, an Indiana-bred gelding by Conveyance, won for the fourth consecutive time on turf. He had come from off the pace to win the Parx Dash here on Aug. 22. That race was run over firm turf.

The unknown of running over a turf course that had absorbed more than an inch of rain had part owner Matt Kwiatkowski admittedly nervous.

“He’s never really run over soft turf, you never know til you do it,” Kwiatkowski said. “Ran great.”

Gaffalione, riding Nobody Listens for the first time, expressed relief that his horse was handling the ground as well as he did.

“He broke alertly, he got underneath himself, traveled well for me,” Gaffalione said. “I had a ton of confidence coming into the stretch.”

Nobody Listens, trained by Tim Eggleston, covered the 5 1/2 furlongs over a yielding course in 1:01.40 and returned $8.20 as the second choice, getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. In addition to Kwiatkowski, Nobody Listens is owned by Jason Kaylor and Roger Browning.

The owners expressed a desire to run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 if he gets into the field.

Smooth B, under Mychel Sanchez, chased Nobody Listens around the course, but had to settle for second, two lengths clear of 3-5 favorite Roses for Debra, the filly taking on males.

Irad Ortiz Jr. said Roses for Debra was spinning her wheels over the yielding course.

“The ground don’t help her for sure,” Ortiz said. “It’s hard to make up ground on that turf course the way it is now. It’s been raining a lot. I know my filly, she was going comfortable, when I asked her she can’t pick it up. She just stayed even.”

King Kumbalay wins Alphabet Soup

Butch Reid had entered King Kumbalay in Saturday’s $100,000 Alphabet Soup Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds hoping the rain would force the race off the turf.

He just didn’t expect it would take so long for that decision to come.

Thankfully that decision did come and King Kumbalay took advantage of the surface switch and a nice ride from Abner Adorno to win the Alphabet Soup by 6 1/2 lengths. Fore Harp, also trained by Reid, set the pace and held second by a nose over Market Maven. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to favored Buy Land and See in fourth.

Reid said his plan was to run King Kumbalay on the dirt and Fore Harp on turf. Given the late notice of the surface switch, Reid left them both in and it worked out as Fore Harp ran second.

“The idea was put Fore Harp on the lead and let King close and it worked out well,” Reid said.

King Kumbalay, a Pennsylvania-bred gelding by Shanghai Bobby owned by Kingsport Farm and bred by the late Jonathan Sheppard, covered the 1 1/16 miles in the slop in 1:45.65 and returned $15.40 to win.

King Kumbalay won for the sixth time in 20 starts, but first in four starts for Reid, who got the horse only a few months ago.

“I’ve only had him about [four] starts, but he’s a big strong horse and he’s improved with every start,” Reid said.

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