Supreme Aura rallies to take Pegasus Stakes

Following two sprint wins to begin his career, Supreme Aura stretched out in distance in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in January. Things didn’t work out, and he finished last of nine.

Trainer Michael Stidham regrouped with the Candy Ride colt, added blinkers, and ran him in sprint stakes at Oaklawn and Woodbine. He finished third both times.

On Sunday at Monmouth Park, Stidham removed the blinkers, stretched him out in the 1 1/16-mile Pegasus, and watched Supreme Aura rally under Joe Bravo to get up in deep stretch and score his first stakes victory.

"This horse has kind of been a work in progress," Stidham said. "We tried to stretch him out too early, but he's developed over the last three months and kind of figured things out."

Hydraulic, the 3-2 favorite in the $100,000 Pegasus, made the early lead in the field of seven 3-year-olds. Early on the backstretch, he was joined from the inside by Justaholic and from the outside by Roaming Union. The pressure took its toll on Hydraulic, and he dropped back after six furlongs, leaving Justaholic and Roaming Union to fight it out.

Roaming Union pulled away in upper stretch and looked headed to victory, but Bravo had Supreme Aura under a drive while well out on the track. He surged late and won by a neck.

Supreme Aura returned $9.40 as the third choice. He improved his record to three wins from six starts for Stallionaire Enterprises and was timed in 1:46.48, with the final sixteenth going in a tepid 7.08 seconds.

"This has been a long time coming for this big guy," said Bravo, who rode him twice at Fair Grounds. "He really fought today. I'm proud of the animal."

Roaming Union was clearly second-best, finishing 12 1/4 lengths in front of Justaholic in third.

Hydraulic, who came into the race undefeated in two starts at Parx, stopped badly and finished last. Dr. Hipp, the 2-1 second choice, lacked a rally and finished fourth.

Ark in the Dark, who like Roaming Union is trained by Kelly Breen, appeared rank on the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch while racing very wide. He finished fifth.

Dan Horn: Irish Strait holds on

Irish Strait looked as rock solid as his 1-2 odds in the $60,000 Dan Horn Stakes until the final sixteenth of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for New Jersey-breds. Then jockey Antonio Gallardo had to get busy on him to hold off a late run from 16-1 Golden Brown.

But in the end, Irish Strait proved a half-length best despite appearing to fall asleep in midstretch. Trained by Graham Motion and owned by Isabelle de Tomaso, the 6-year-old half-brother to Irish War Cry paid $3.

Irish Strait stalked front-running George Cross early, easily wrested command nearing the far turn, held a sizable advantage in midstretch, and then did what was needed to win.

In his season debut last time out, Irish Strait dropped a cruel nose decision to Force the Pass in the open Cliff Hanger Stakes. Last year, he won the Grade 3 Red Bank at Monmouth. The Dan Horn was his first race against statebreds.

The Dan Horn was Gallardo's second stakes win in half an hour. He won the Mr. Prospector aboard Chublicious in the preceding race.

"The last time I rode him, I waited a little bit too long," Gallardo said. "That's why he was second by a nose. It was kind of a nice, easy pace early today, and I felt it was time to go when I did. He was actually dragging me. You really don’t want to fight him when he is ready to go."

Irish Strait is now 6 for 21 with $336,838 in earnings.

George Brown, who was coming off a first-level allowance victory against New Jersey-breds for trainer Pat McBurney, ran well in defeat. Between horses into the stretch, he rallied up the inside in the stretch in a determined effort.

Fuzzy Muzzle won a blanket finish for third. He crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths behind Golden Brown.

Irish Strait was timed over firm turf in 1:42.42.