Winning Cause closes strongly to take Red Bank

Winning Cause clearly relishes the turf course at Monmouth Park.

Returning to the Jersey Shore track for the first time since winning the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger last August, Winning Cause ran down 8-5 favorite Heart to Heart in deep stretch to take Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Red Bank Stakes.

The 5-year-old Winning Cause, trained by Todd Pletcher for Alto Racing, was second in last year’s Red Bank, beaten three-quarters of a length. His two best career Beyer Speed Figures of 103 and 102 came when he was third in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes and won the Cliff Hanger.

Heart to Heart, a two-time Grade 3 winner last season, looked like a winner under Paco Lopez when he blew past early pacesetter Mellow Fellow approaching the final turn and had a clear lead in the stretch. But Winning Cause, ridden for the first time by Abel Castellano Jr., came flying late to get up by a half-length, making up a two-length deficit in the final furlong. Aztec Brave was another half-length back in third at 3-1.

“I expected the speed early on and we sat very easy on the backstretch,” Castellano said. “He seemed to find an extra gear coming down the stretch and once he found a hole, I knew it was going to be really close.”

Overall, Winning Cause has won 6 of 26 starts and $642,734. He ran a mile on firm turf in 1:32.27.

“He had a great trip. He needs a solid pace to run at and he sure got it today," said Anthony Sciametta Jr., Pletcher's assistant at Monmouth. "He got a great ride and the jockey moved just at the right time. This horse sure loves Monmouth.”