Monster Sleeping looks to defend Million Ladies title
Monster Sleeping wins the 2013 Maryland Million Ladies. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Two-time winner Monster Sleeping is expected to make her fourth straight trip to the Maryland Million for ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races’ Saturday, Oct. 22 at Laurel Park.
Charles J. Reed’s 7-year-old mare, a multiple stakes winner with 10 victories and $529,907 in purse earnings from 53 lifetime starts, worked seven furlongs in 1:27.80 over Laurel’s main track on Monday.
Monster Sleeping won the $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies for females 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 2013 and 2015 and was fifth in 2014.
“We’re looking at the Ladies on Maryland Million Day,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “She worked very well. Typically we don’t work them that far, but her last couple of races she hasn’t really gotten a lot out of them so I wanted to make sure we got a good, long work under her before that mile and an eighth race.”
A Maryland-bred daughter of Oratory, Monster Sleeping has one win from six starts this year, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint April 3 at Laurel to kick off her 2016 campaign. She ran in four straight stakes, finishing third in the Jameela Aug. 20, and most recently was fifth in an optional claiming allowance Sept. 28 at Delaware Park.
“It’s been one of those unlucky years for her so far,” Capuano said. “She’s been really good and she’s trained really well but circumstances in the races just haven’t panned out for her. Hopefully on Maryland Million Day she’ll get a break.”
Capuano said he may also run Richard Vermillion’s stakes-placed 4-year-old filly Rocky Policy, second in the 2014 Maryland Million Lassie, in the Ladies. She was a one-length winner of a one-mile, 70-yard allowance over the all-weather track at Presque Isle Downs Sept. 19 last time out, and breezed six furlongs in 1:13.40 Tuesday at Laurel.
Though eligible as a son of sprint champion Orientate, 3-year-old gelding Bobcat will not be ready for the Maryland Million, Capuano said. He returned to the work tab with a three-furlong breeze in 38 seconds Monday at Laurel.
It was the first timed work for Bobcat since a five-furlong move from the gate Aug. 21. An impressive winner of his first two starts this spring at Laurel, he has not raced since finishing fifth in the 5 ½-furlong Select Stakes June 12 at Monmouth Park.
“Bobcat is still a few works away from a race. He’s coming along fine,” Capuano said. “It had been a little bit. He had been training steady; he just hadn’t worked. He’ll be working regularly right now. He’ll work again on Sunday and be on a regular work schedule, and hopefully we’ll be able to find a race for him.”
