Mr. Jordan took the measure of Tekton to win the G3 Pegasus on Sunday at Monmouth. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
From a Monmouth Park release
Melin, Ellman and Plesa’s Mr. Jordan fought bravely down the center of the track to post a head victory over a very game Tekton in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes before a Father’s Day crowd of 16,774 at Monmouth Park. In the day’s undercard stakes, Saucy Don held off the late charge of Chunnel, scoring by a neck in the $60,000 Dan Horn Handicap.
With Paco Lopez in the irons, Mr. Jordan sat off the early speed of Tekton before pushing past that rival in mid-stretch. Tekton, along the fence, battled every inch of the stretch, only to come up just short at the wire. The timer stopped in 1:42 3/5 for the mile and sixteenth over a fast main track.
“He’s been off a long time and he ran real well today,” said winning trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. “He’s a peculiar horse. He’s the type of horse that’s always feeling good and does what he likes. We’ll look at the Haskell (Grade 1, $1 million at Monmouth on Aug. 2), obviously, but wait to see how he comes out of this.”
Mr. Jordan, the 2-1 favorite, returned $6, $3.60 and $2.60 and topped a $38.60 exacta. Tekton paid $5.60 and $3.40. It was nearly four lengths farther back to Good Pick Nick, who paid $2.80 to show. Maryland-based Bodhisattva, who ran in this year’s Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, finished seventh.
A 3-year-old grey colt by Kantharos from the Cloud Hopping mare Miss Skeetd, Mr. Jordan is a perfect two-for-two at Monmouth, having broken his maiden here last summer at first asking. He now sports a record of 4-2-0 from six starts, good for earnings of $253,095.
In the Dan Horn, Patricia Generazio’s Saucy Don took the lead around the far turn before reporting home in a time of 1:37 flat for the mile over “good” turf. Saucy Don paid $6.80, $4.40 and $3.20 as the favorite in the field of New Jersey-bred colts and geldings. Chunnel paid $4.60 and $3.20. It was just over three lengths back to Amblin Easy, who paid $5.60 to show.
“I’m really glad the race turned out how it did,” said winning jockey Abel Castellano Jr. “I knew there were a couple horses who would show speed, but coming out of shorter races I was hoping I’d be able to sit in behind and settle, and that’s what happened. Around the far turn, once I asked him to go, I knew I had it.”
Trained by Terri Pompay, Saucy Don captured his second straight stakes race in taking the Dan Horn. Last out he won the John J. Reilly Handicap at six furlongs over the main track. The 5-year-old horse by Don Six from the Belong to Me mare Saucy Broad has won seven of his 24 starts.
