Coach Billy Morey was getting nowhere near the results he was looking for on July 16 when he made his first trip to Monmouth Park but that doesn’t stop him from returning to visit this weekend.
Morey, who has divisions in Kentucky and in Racecourse Saratogasend Hottie Shotgun July 31 at Monmouth Oaks (G3) $250,000, with half-Kentucky daughter of Gunman almost missed in Delaware Oaks (G3) on her last boot. She lost a head first Walking at midnight .
“It was a good race,” he said. “It was an interesting race. It looked like we were going to win, but the winner ran a very good race. They were only a head apart. Both fillings were super racers.”
Nearly two weeks ago, Morey’s first game at Monmouth in a coaching career that began in 2001, yielded a fifth result with Marissa’s Lady in Blue Sparkler Stakes.
The 98th edition of the 1/16-mile Monmouth Oaks game looks to be an even tougher challenge, with coach Brad Cox starting to hit the level 1s Map of Juju Todd Pletcher nominates group 3 winner and runner-up Mother Goose Stakes (G2) Shahama and Ken McPeek finished in second place Indiana Oaks (G3) Wife ran away .
Morey only took on Shotgun Hottie training this year, and she responded with victories in Ruthless Stakes, a second in the Busher Invitational Stakes, and a third in the Gazelle Stakes (G3), all are all in Aqueduct race track before Delaware Oaks.
“Those fills are a bit more complete than we are now,” says Morey. “But she is now very responsive and is training well, and this is the right time to have a chance again against a team of this caliber.”
Owned by Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje, the 2-3-1 Sports Shotgun Hottie from eight starts at $269,720.
She’s training well enough that Morey will get her back in four weeks. Dylan Davis riding.
“Really good times,” Morey said. “She had three months off before starting for the first time this year. Coming back in a month this time was perfect. She was really consistent. We just wanted an extra ‘W’ on the book. the one with her.”
Shotgun Hottie will likely need to capture the Map of Juju, who is likely to be the guide for Monmouth Oaks under Paco Lopez’s lead.
A disappointing third of Mother Goose’s favorite game at Belmont, Albaugh Family Stables’ Juju Map has placed first or second in her other starts. She won the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) last fall at Keeneland and finished second after a slow start in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup for Minors (G1) at Del Mar in the highlight events of the 2-year-old girl’s season.
“Obviously, when she was racing below expectations, we had to reroute,” Cox said of Mother Moose. “So we’re at Monmouth Park, and we’re back two turns. I think that might be the reason. She’s not a one-turn horse.”
She started her third Sunday at age 3 after winning back in an optional claimant at Churchill Downs and ended her show in Mother Goose.
Silver leaf third place in Indiana Oaks and another starter film for McPeek, and the longshot girl Office etiquette round the field six horses.
Item: Monmouth Oaks (G3)
Monmouth ParkSunday, July 31, 2022, Race 5
- Level III
- 1 1/16m
- Dust
- 250,000 dollars
- 3 yo Fillies
- 2:11pm (local)
This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse Staff.
