Princess Indy takes Sorority Stakes
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After racing concluded this past May 27, Claudio Gonzalez had won just one race with his last 45 starters. He was 10 percent for the year, 23-226, another struggling trainer. On Sunday at Monmouth Park, when Princess Indy won the $203,500 Sorority Stakes, it was one of three winners on the card for Gonzalez and just his second stakes win from 20 such starters over the past year.
The wins have come in bunches since Gonzalez had gone ice cold. Since May 28, he is 46-168, a 27 percent strike rate, and 40-141, 28 percent, at Monmouth, which has become the home summer track for Gonzalez, a multiple leading trainer at Maryland race meetings. After Gonzalez won the Sunday nightcap with Mister J T, he had 41 wins at the meet and a 22-winner lead in in the trainer standings.
It’s a wonder Princess Indy paid $8.40, not $4.80, in the Sorority, a two-turn mile for 2-year-old fillies.
Princess Indy had finished fifth, beaten more than 14 lengths, just two weeks ago in the Adirondack at Saratoga, a performance that produced a 58 Beyer Speed Figure, which looked competitive in the Sorority, and was. Breaking a touch slow from post 6 under Carlos Rojas, Princess Indy stalked from mid-pack three wide around the first turn and down the backstretch. Longshot Kisses for Luck led through an opening quarter-mile in 24.06 but the pace-pressing favorite, Wine on Tap, took over with five furlongs to race and threatened to open a lead before the far turn. Rojas thus tapped Princess Indy for more speed and the filly moved a few lengths closer, Lagonisi going with Princess Indy into the turn.
Trevor McCarthy aboard Wine On Tap let his mount out a notch past the three-furlong marker, briefly widening the lead, but Princess Indy countered and under a heavy drive got back on terms with Wine On Tap in upper stretch. Princess Indy began edging clear past the furlong pole and crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths best. Lagonisi, who had been outrun to the quarter pole, stayed on solidly and just missed second by a head while a half-length better than fourth-place Classy Mischief, who rallied outside Lagonisi.
Princess Indy stopped the timer in 1:41.72 while racing on a fast track, a slow raw time on a track that didn’t appear to play especially slow. The first two editions of the Sorority over a mile on dirt went in 1:38.43 and 1:39.72.
Princess Indy, a debut sprint winner at Monmouth, is owned by Valter Ramos and was bred by Spendthrift Farm. The filly is by Lord Nelson out of Bonita Mia, by Warrior’s Reward. Her trainer seemingly cannot lose at Monmouth Park.
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