NEWS
Discreetly Mine powers home in Jersey Shore
Posted: Sunday, July 04, 2010 6:41 PM
DISCREETLY MINE
Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
For video of the Jersey Shore Stakes, click here.
by Ron Parker
E. Paul Robsham Stables' homebred Discreetly Mine benefited from skillful ride by jockey John Velazquez to snap a three-race losing streak with a 1¼-length victory on Sunday in the $192,750 Jersey Shore Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.
Out of Respect broke on top in the six-furlong contest with Partyallnightlong and Safe Trip just behind. He set swift fractions of :22.13 for the opening quarter and :44.85 for a half-mile with Discreetly Mine hugging the rail in fourth position.
Turning for home, Discreetly Mine was trapped behind a wall of three horses before Velazquez made the decision to abandon his rail position and concede some ground by swinging him four wide outside the leading trio.
With a clear path in front of him, Discreetly Mine launched a steady drive that propelled him past the leaders and into the winner’s circle.
“The only thing I wanted to make sure of was that I wasn’t head to head for the lead,” Velazquez said. “He kind of got squeezed coming out of there in the first four or five jumps, and I had to encourage him a little bit to make sure he wasn’t too far back. Once I pulled him out around the turn, he was on his game.”
Out of Respect gamely held on for second, one length clear of third-place finisher Safe Trip. Discreetly Mine stopped the teletimer in 1:09.71 on a track rated as fast for his second graded stakes victory and third win from 11 career starts.
“Johnny [Velazquez] saved all the ground with him, and I guess he decided when a hole didn’t open on the inside that he’d better get him to the outside,” said Anthony Sciametta Jr., assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “Once he got him in the clear, he switched leads nicely and took off.”
A victory earlier this year in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds put the Mineshaft colt firmly on the Triple Crown trail, but dreams of classic victory evaporated when he could do no better than 13th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
He rebounded from that disappointment to finish second to D’ Funnybone in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on June 5, his start prior to the Jersey Shore.
Out of the Grade 1-winning Private Account mare Pretty Discreet, Discreetly Mine increased his career earnings to $559,350. He is a half brother to Grade 1 winner Discreet Cat and Grade 1-placed stakes winner Pretty Wild.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
