Monmouth Park: Neoequos drops in class, wins Jersey Shore

Neoequos did not simply get class relief Friday in the Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park. He took a precipitous drop in company after racing in three straight Grade 1 races and a Grade 2 while twice facing Sovereignty in those high-profile races.

So his 3 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 feature for only four 3-year-olds going six furlongs was no surprise to his connections or the betting public.

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After tracking long shot Fire Pit through an opening quarter in 22.55 seconds, Neoequos took control heading into the turn and then held off a mild bid from Donut God for the first stakes win of his 10-race career.

The winning time was 1:09.51.

“I think the class relief helped, and I think being back at this distance helped,” winning trainer Saffie Joseph said. “In his last race (the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 7), he didn’t break well and lost all position. He really didn’t get a good trip that race. I think he ran a lot better than that race looks on paper. One turn is probably what he wants to do. He’ll probably go as far as a mile. ... I’m just happy to get the horse his first stakes win, and I thought he did it the right way.”

Ridden by Samuel Marín, who won this race a year ago with Book’em Danno, Neoequos posted his third career win from 10 starts. The Florida-bred son of Neolithic, third in the Florida Derby (G1) and 13th in the Kentucky Derby, did as the jockey pleased.

He paid $2.60 to win in a field reduced by two scratches to four starters.

What made Neoequos’s assignment easier was the fact Donut God, 2-for-2 lifetime but coming off an eight-month layoff, did not break well. In his two wins last year, he led from gate to wire both times.

“I wasn’t worried about the long shot (Fire Pit) making the lead like he did,” said Marin. “I had a lot of horse. The one I was worried about was Donut God, and he didn’t break as well as he should have. I just let my horse get comfortable on his own, and when I asked him, he was there for me. Donut God made a little run at us. I took a look back and saw him right behind me coming out of the turn, but I was still in hand.”

Joseph was pleased particularly with the performance after shipping the colt in from Saratoga.

“Donut God made a run at us at the top of the stretch, and it looked like he might get us,” Joseph said. “But Samuel Marín knew he had horse, and when he asked him to go, he really responded and finished well. He’s lost twice to (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner) Sovereignty, so when you look back, I’m more gratified the way he was running then.

“We talked to the ownership group (C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables, Stefania Farms, Ken Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch) and decided to take a step back and run him in an easier spot and then go back up again. So things worked out perfectly in this race.”

“He’s just a classy horse,” Marín said. “He was much the best. He did it on his own today. I didn’t have to ask him at all.”

Fire Pit lasted for third, 7 1/4 lengths behind Donut God. Persisten finished fourth.