Monmouth Park Archives
Rock
Hard Ten Sick The popular Rock Hard Ten was unable to return to California after racing in the Haskell Invitational, won by Lion Heart, due to an illness, which is also believed to be the cause of his poor run in the Haskell. Rock Hard Ten is based in California, where he won the Swaps Stakes (gr. II) on July 10. He had been shipped east to run in the Triple Crown races, then back to California for the Swaps, then back East for the Haskell, and trainer Jason Orman believes that was his colt's undoing. |
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Lion Heart Roars in the Haskell Lion Heart thrust himself squarely into the three-year-old championship division when he gamely won the Haskell Invitiational Handicap (gr I) at Monmouth Park on Sunday. The chestnut son of Tale of the Cat was coming off of a win in the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III), where trainer Patrick Biancone said he was not 100%, to be fully cranked for the Haskell. Winning rider Joe Bravo was winning his first Haskell, and Lion Heart, who won the Hollywood Futurity last Decemeber, was capturing his second grade one race. My Snookie's Boy, who had nearly upset Lion Heart in their last race, was the only one closing at the end. Rock Hard Ten, who had gone favored, started to struggle around the far turn and dropped back to be sixth. |
Lion Heart, Rock Hard Ten Clash
Again Rock Hard Ten and Lion Heart, suddenly perhaps the second and third best three-year-old colts in the country after the retirement of Smarty Jones, will meet in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Monmouth Park on Sunday. Rock Hard Ten is coming off of a win in the Swaps Stakes (gr. II) at Hollywood Park and Lion Heart just won the Long Branch Breedres' Cup Stakes over the Monmouth surface. Corey Nakatani will be aboard Rock Hard Ten, and Joe Bravo keeps the mount on Lion Heart. Other contenders for the 1 1/8 mile race include Royal Assault, Swingforthefences, and My Snookie's Boy, who nearly upset Lion Heart in their last start. Pollard's Vision is also entered, but he is expected to start on Saturday in the West Virginia Derby. |
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 Lion Heart © Emily Hufford 2004 |
Lion Heart Wins the
Long Branch Lion Heart made his return to the races a winning one with a narrow victory over My Snookie's Boy in the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Monmouth Park. Royal Assault, another graded stakes winner, finished third in the 1 1/16 miles contest. A three-year-old son of Tale of the Cat, Lion Heart had not won since the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) in December, but had run very well several times this year. His last start was a fourth place finish in the Preakness Stakes. Jockey Joe Bravo was aloft for the first time in the Long Branch. Lion Heart, who is trained by Patrick Biancone, is expected to run again in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) over the same surface on August 8th. |
 Lion Heart © Emily Hufford 2004 |
Lion Heart Returns Lion Heart has not won a race since December, when he dominated the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I). However, his record is nothing to laugh at. Since then he has finished second three times, in the San Rafael Stakes (to Imperialism), the Blue Grass Stakes (to The Cliff's Edge) and in the Kentucky Derby (to Smarty Jones). His last race was a fourth place finish in the Preakness Stakes, again behind Smarty Jones. This Saturday Lion Heart will make his return in the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Monmouth Park. Mike Smith, who has ridden the colt in every one of his seven starts, will not be aboard on Saturday, instead Joe Bravo will pilot the small chestnut son of Tale of the Cat. Lion Heart is owned by Michael Tabor and trained by Patrick Biancone. Also in the race is the Nick Zito trained Royal Assault, who won the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico in May. |
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Request for Parole Surprises Request for Parole won the United Nations Handicap (gr. I) to secure his first grade one win in his career. The five-year-old dark bay horse now has nine wins in thirty starts. Request for Parole is remembered for his fifth place finish in the 2002 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) behind War Emblem. He has only recently become a top turf horse. Mr. O'Brien, winner of the Argent Dixie Stakes at Pimlico, finished second, and Nothing to Lose was third. Favored Meteor Storm, trained by Wally Dollase, could only manage sixth. Trained by Stanley Hough and owned by Jeri and Sam Knighton, Request for Parole has earned $1,053,392. He was ridden in the race by Edgar Prado. |
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Pomeroy Rebounds The returning Pomeroy dusted a decent field of three-year-old colts in Monmouth's Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III), winning by four lengths. He broke faster than second-choice Value Plus, a known speedster, and dueled with that one to the top of the stretch before pulling away. Ghostofachance ran on to be second, Midnight Express was third. Patrick Biancone trains Pomeroy, a son of Boundary out of the Seeking the Gold mare Questress. It was Pomeroy's first stakes win and first win of 2004 after looking like a promising horse last year. Pomeroy is owned by Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor and was ridden in the Jersey Shore by Joe Bravo. |
