NEWS
Well Monied handles class test in Honeymoon
Posted: Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:50 PM
WELL MONIED
Benoit & Associates photo
To view a video replay of the Honeymoon Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Well Monied swept to the lead in her stakes debut on Sunday at Hollywood Park and held off a late bid from Grade 2 winner Acting Lady to win the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap (G2) and extend her winning streak to three.
The Maria’s Mon filly was rated in seventh behind a strong pace and accelerated when angled wide by Joel Rosario leaving the final turn. Well Monied overhauled pacesetter Pride Dancer (Ire) and Dash Dot Dash with a visually impressive turn of foot and shook free to a 1 1/4-length score in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for three-year-old fillies.
Providencia Stakes (G2) winner Acting Lady closed willingly but never seriously threatened Well Monied, who completed the distance on firm turf in 1:48.35.
"After her last two wins I had a lot of confidence,” Rosario said. “I had to ask her to run before the three-eighths pole so we wouldn't get caught too wide. She was running real comfortably at the top of the stretch and I had a lot of horse left."
Acting Lady finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Lexlenos (Ire).
Trained by Howard Zucker for owner C. T. Grether Inc., Well Monied finished fourth in each of her first three career starts before notching a breakthrough win in a 1 1/18-mile turf race on March 28 at Santa Anita Park. She entered the Honeymoon off a clear win in a one mile optional claiming race on May 2 at Hollywood and had no trouble with the step up in class.
Pride Dancer was rank early under Joe Talamo and opened a clear lead through an opening quarter in :22.97 and a half-mile in :47.02. Acting Lady was rated in fifth by Rafael Bejarano while Rosario positioned 7-to-5 favorite Well Monied in seventh.
Well Monied advanced to fourth with three furlongs to run and easily dispatched three foes to take charge. Zucker said he will consider Well Monied for the American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) on July 5 at Hollywood.
“Who's going to the American Oaks? I don't know that I'm going. It's not so much who's going, but I have to see how my filly is,” Zucker said. “She's kind of a thin type. She doesn't hold her weight in between. I've been running her once a month and if I have to, I'll fatten her up a little bit. She seemed to take this like it was nothing. She wasn't even blowing when she got back. I love it.
"She's a really honest filly. I don't know that there's a prettier mover on the lawn in this division.”
A half sister to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Jimmy Simms, Well Monied is out of the Quiet American mare Queen of America. She improved to three wins in six starts and boosted her earnings to $155,700.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
