Pocus Hocus rebounds in Monmouth Beach

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Pocus Hocus wore down Chrusciki to win the $70,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes for fillies and mares Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Those two battled through most of the 1 1/16 miles with Chrusciki setting the pace and Pocus Hocus prompting closely in second. They were side by side the length of the stretch with Pocus Hocus accelerating in the final 50 yards to secure the win by a head.

Pocus Hocus ($7.00) stopped the clock in 1:44.32 over the fast track for her sixth win in 25 career starts.

Eibar Coa was aboard for his third winner of the day.

"I thought I was aboard the best horse and rode her that way," said Coa. "She showed her class and gave me that extra push to get up."

Trainer James Jerkens has sent two horses to Monmouth this meet and won with both.

"It was gratifying to see she still has something left," said Jerkens of the 6-year-old. "We thought this was a good spot to get her back on track.

Pocus Hocus rebounded nicely from her prior race, a 35-length loss in the slop in the Grade 2 Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Final Round, the 6-5 favorite of the crowd of 13,176, stumbled at the start but recovered to get third.