Open Mind Draws Three First-Time Stakes Hopefuls
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Three fillies will try stakes company for the first time in this Sunday’s $60,000 Open Mind Handicap for New Jersey breds, as trainer J. Willard Thompson sends both Pinot Grigio and Morning Miracle, and Robert G. Smith will start World Gone Wright.
Stablemates Morning Miracle and Pinot Grigio faced off in their last outing, an allowance event at Monmouth on May 10. Both went off at long odds, but Pinot Grigio managed to claim victory by 3/4 of a length while Morning Miracle was fifth across the wire.
“She was training well so I wasn’t surprised when she won,” said Thompson of Pinot Grigio. “Everything’s good with both of them right now, they’re working well. I think they’ll both run well. There’s no secret to it, we’re just hoping.”
Both members of the tandem breezed five furlongs on May 25. Pinot Grigio worked the distance in 1:02 4/5, while Morning Miracle went 1:01 4/5.
Rival World Gone Wright took to the track twice since arriving in Oceanport, once on May 20, when she breezed five furlongs in 1:04 3/5, and again on May 26, breezing four furlongs in :49 2/5.
“She shipped in well,” said Smith, “and she’s had two good works since getting here. She seems to like the track. She had a light gallop on [Saturday] morning, and schooled in the gate the other day. She’s been perfect, so we’re very happy.”
A 3-year-old filly by Forty Grams, out of It’s a Storm, World Gone Wright is a perfect 2-for-2 coming into Sunday’s feature. She went wire-to-wire in each of her starts, most recently besting the field by a half-length in an allowance race at Keeneland on April 14. She’ll look to continue her success against Morning Miracle, Pinot Grigio, and five other fillies and mares, as she sprints six furlongs on the dirt.
“I think she’s going to go to the front,” Smith said, “and they’ll have to catch her. Unless she breaks bad or something like that, but that doesn’t really concern me because she’s worked real well behind horses and has had dirt in her face, so she doesn’t necessarily need to be on the lead, but I think that’s where she’ll be.”
Thompson indicated that he expects there to be a gap between his two entries.
“Morning Miracle is a speed horse,” Thompson said. “She likes to be up close to the front, but Pinot Grigio comes from the back a little bit. She probably won’t be on the pace, but hopefully not too far back.”
Jockeys Gabriel Saez and Eddie Castro will ride for Thompson aboard Pinot Grigio and Morning Miracle, respectively, while Monmouth’s leading jockey Paco Lopez gets the call on World Gone Wright. Monmouth Park will feature the Open Mind Handicap as the 10th race on Sunday’s 11-race card.
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