Monster Sleeping aims to join elite company with Ladies win

by | Oct 21, 2016 | Breaking, Maryland, MD Racing, Racing

Monster Sleeping took the Maryland Million Ladies in 2015 for the second time in three years. Photo by the Maryland Jockey Club.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Already one of four horses to win multiple editions of the $125,000 Maryland Million Ladies, Charles J. Reed’s Monster Sleeping can join an even more elite group with another victory Saturday at Laurel Park.

Countus In (1989-91) and Mz. Zill Bear (1993-95) are the only three-time winners of the Ladies, a 1 1/8-mile turf test for fillies and mares 3 and up sired by eligible Maryland stallions, one of nine stakes on the 31st annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program.

The only other horses in Million history with three wins are Ben’s Cat (2010-12), Docent (2001-03), Eighttofasttocatch (2011, 2013-14) and Safely Kept (1989-91).

“She doesn’t know that,” said Dale Capuano, who leads all trainers with 11 career Million victories, one more than Hall of Famer King Leatherbury. “The only thing she really knows is that she hasn’t won since April in her first race back. We were hoping to get some type of race that would be a little bit easier for her going into the Maryland Million, but that definitely didn’t pan out. We just have to do the best we can with what we have to work with, really.”

A 7-year-old Oratory mare, Monster Sleeping is co-second choice in the program at 4-1 for the Ladies, which drew a field of 12 including Maryland-bred also-eligibles Vielsalm, Debbie’s Tude, Good Roll and Opie.

Monster Sleeping has gone winless since opening the year with a gutsy head victory in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance turf sprint April 3 off a four-month break. She got crowded early and lost all chance in the Gallorette (G3) and endured wide or troubled trips in three subsequent stakes tries.

Most recently, Monster Sleeping failed to threaten in a 7 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Sept. 28, run over a yielding turf at Delaware Park. She is 2-for-3 at the distance on Laurel’s world-class turf course, where she has finished in the top three in 16 of 26 starts with five wins.

“She’s as game as ever and she still trains forwardly, so everything like that is good,” Capuano said. “She just needs a bit of good racing luck. Hopefully we get a firm turf course that day because she prefers that. We’ll have to see.”

Trevor McCarthy, aboard for her last victory, will ride Monster Sleeping from Post 6. All horses in the main body of the race will carry 119 pounds.

Capuano-trained stablemate Rocky Policy is also entered in the Ladies as well as the Distaff, run over seven furlongs on the main track. In her last start, the 4-year-old Rock Slide filly won a one-mile, 70-yard allowance over the all-weather surface Sept. 19 at Presque Isle Downs.

Monster Sleeping will face three familiar foes in Pauline’s Pride, Magician’s Vanity and Dance With Gio, who finished third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in last year’s Ladies. Pauline’s Pride has one win from seven starts this year while Magician’s Vanity is coming off a fifth-place effort in the Brookmeade Stakes Sept. 24 at Laurel. Dance With Gio returned from nearly fourth months between races Oct. 8 to run sixth in a one-mile optional claimer that was rained off the turf to a good main track.

“She’s doing good. She worked very good the other day with [Maryland Million Classic contender] Flash McCaul,” said Mike Trombetta, who trains Magician’s Vanity. “She’s a little difficult filly to ride. She’s kind of eager and if you don’t get her covered up and get her comfortable, she kind of wants to go on with you.”

Complete St., second by a neck in defense of her 2015 Brookmeade victory; multiple stakes-placed Devilish Love; and Northern Smile, third by a length in the All Brandy June 25 at Pimlico, are also entered.

 

[su_box title=”MARYLAND MILLION LADIES ENTRIES” style=”glass”]
  1. Complete St. (4-1) — Forest Boyce/Lilith Boucher
  2. Devilish Love (5-1) — Alex Cintron/Tony Dutrow
  3. Rocky Policy (4-1) — Victor Carrasco/Dale Capuano
  4. Magician’s Vanity (10-1) — Taylor Hole/Mike Trombetta
  5. Northern Smile (7-2) — Edgar Prado/Kelly Rubley
  6. Monster Sleeping (4-1) — Trevor McCarthy/Dale Capuano
  7. Pauline’s Pride (10-1) — Jevian Toledo/John Salzman, Jr.
  8. Dance With Gio (20-1) — Steve Hamilton/Bill Wolfendale
  9. (ae) Vielsalm (4-1) — NA/Lynn Ashby
  10. (ae) Debbie’s Tude (6-1) — Luis Garcia/Bill Komlo
  11. (ae) Good Roll (10-1) — NA/Kevin Boniface
  12. (ae) Opie (20-1) — Angel Cruz/Ollie Figgins, III
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