Prince of Monaco turns on the speed for Best Pal victory
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DEL MAR, Calif. - A stalking trip led to an emphatic win by Prince of Monaco in Sunday’s Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar.
The outcome was not the result expected by bettors.
Prince of Monaco ($5.60) was the second choice in a field of five behind 1-2 Muth. The $200,000 Best Pal was the stakes debut and second appearances for the two highly promising colts trained by Bob Baffert, easy winners in their first starts.
Prince of Monaco disputed the pace throughout a maiden-race win at five furlongs at Los Alamitos on July 9, but closed from fourth on the backstretch in the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes. He rallied smartly through the final quarter-mile to win by 4 1/4 lengths.
Prince of Monaco was timed in a rapid 1:09.19, the fastest six-furlong time of the Del Mar summer meeting. The Chosen Vron was timed in 1:09.24 when he won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 29. The time equated to a 103 Beyer Speedd Figure, by far the highest record by a 2-year-old this year.
On Sunday, Muth, a $2 million purchase earlier this year, dueled with 12-1 Tranche through an opening quarter-mile in 21.76 seconds and a half-mile in 44.76, but could not hold off Prince of Monaco in the stretch.
Prince of Monaco started on the outside in a field of five.
Flavien Prat, currently riding at Saratoga, traveled to Del Mar for the first time this summer to ride Prince of Monaco. Prat is a former leading rider at Del Mar.
“I saw the pace was hot and I just waited,” Prat said. “I thought the draw was good.”
Muth, a debut winner by 8 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita on June 18, held second, finishing 4 1/2 lengths clear of 8-1 Raging Torrent.
Muth pulled away from Tranche entering the stretch, but was not able to keep pace with his stablemate.
“He had no excuses,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode Muth.
“I was comfortable and I was outside. At the quarter-pole, he didn’t open up like last time. The other ran better today.”
Tranche, the winner of the Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita in June, faded to finish fourth, 24 lengths behind Prince of Monaco. Who Is Pavel was last in the small field.
Prince of Monaco, by Speightstown, races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.
Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Prince of Monaco was listed as sold for $950,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. Prince of Monaco has earned $147,000.
Prince of Monaco gave Baffert his 10th career win in the Best Pal Stakes. The first two finishers are likely to start in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 10, a race Baffert has won a record 16 times.
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