Red Oak Stable wins Owner Title at Monmouth Park
As the curtain fell on a successful summer season of Thoroughbred racing at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, the Red Oak Stable of John Brunetti, Sr. earned leading owner honors for 2017.
The Ocala, FL-based operation sent out 13 winners from 52 starters over 50 days of racing, ending the meet with a 25% win rate, a 56% in-the-money rate, and purse earnings of $319,407.
Honored during a winner’s circle presentation after the 6th race on closing day at Monmouth Park, Sunday September 10, John J. Brunetti, Sr. was quick to compliment the Oceanport, NJ track and its management.
“I want to thank all of the Monmouth Park family, the executives, and the racing office for offering such a strong program and a wonderful climate for Thoroughbred racing in New Jersey,” Brunetti said. “I love racing at Monmouth Park! We’ve enjoyed quite a number of special times here over the years.”
Three Red Oak Stable runners –Crazy Daisy, Let’s Parlay, and Pier Village– each won two races during the 2017 season at Monmouth Park, but the most significant victory of the meet came when the stable’s two-year-old colt Bal Harbour bested three last-out winners to take the 83rd running of the Sapling Stakes on Saturday September 2.
With Christopher DeCarlo in the irons, the Kentucky-bred son of First Samurai ran close to the pace, rallied three-wide into the stretch to gain the lead, then held off Kowboy Karma by 1-¼ lengths in 1:38.48 for one mile.
“We thought Bal Harbour would be good around two turns and he was,” explained Mr. Brunetti. “We’re hoping for even better things to happen and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the future.”
The 2017 leading owner title at Monmouth Park is the latest validation of a business decision Red Oak Stable made four years ago.
“We decided to campaign as a boutique stable,” noted Red Oak Stable manager Richard Sacco. “We aimed for a high win percentage with top quality runners and that strategy worked well this season at Monmouth Park.
Overall in 2017, Red Oak Stable has sent out 83 starters, tallied 21 victories, notched a 50% in-the-money rate, and compiled earnings of $783,692.
“I want to give credit for our success to Rick Sacco,” added Mr. Brunetti. “He’s done a great job managing Red Oak Stable and placing our horses in races they can win. And my son Stephen Brunetti has done a terrific job breeding our mares.”
One of Red Oak Stable’s top runners, 2016 G3 Monmouth Oaks winner Unbridled Mo, did not race at Monmouth Park in 2017, but the now four-year-old has become a three-time graded stakes winner by virtue of victories in her only two starts of the year.
On January 29, Unbridled Mo drew off to win the G3 Houston Ladies Classic by almost three lengths. Less than three months later on April 21, the daughter of Uncle Mo-Unbridled Waters won the G3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland as the odds-on favorite.
Source: Red Oak Stable