Way With Words Takes Blue Sparkler

George L. Schwartz’s Way With Words continued her winning ways at Monmouth Park on Sunday, taking the $100,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes, her second consecutive stakes score at the meet as Greeley’s Rocket flew home to take the $100,000 Crank It Up Stakes.

Ridden by Eddie Castro, Way With Words sat patiently early before angling out for the drive and running down pacesetters Rated Fiesty and Saarlight in the final yards to post a neck win. Way With Words covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:10 1/5 and paid $7.20, $3.40 and $2.40.

Saarlight, who dueled early with Rated Fiesty,  completed the $28.60 exacta and paid $3.20 and $2.20. Rated Fiesty was another three-quarters of a length back in third, good for a $2.20 show mutuel.

“She always tries her hardest and thankfully today she had enough to get there,” said winning trainer Mary Eppler. “She really likes Monmouth Park. She’s very easy on herself in the mornings * easy to gallop. She’s just a professional.”

A 6-year-old mare by Sefapiano from the Belong to Me mare Swiftly Tilting, Way With Words now boasts a lifetime mark of 11-4-2 from 26 starts with eight of those victories having come in Oceanport. The Blue Sparkler victory boosted her lifetime bankroll to $521,900.

In the Crank It Up Stakes, Greeley’s Rocket powered past pacesetter Whoopi Kitten just after turning for home and opened up to score a 4 ¼ length victory.

Trained by W. Bret Calhoun, Greeley’s Rocket stepped the about 5 ½ furlongs over firm turf in 1:01 4/5 and returned $9.60, $3.80 and $3. Whoopi Kitten completed the $21.20 exacta and paid $3.40 to place and $2.80 to show. It was another length and three-quarters back to Full of Gut, who paid $4.

“We were able to sit right behind the speed horses,” said winning jockey Jeremy Rose. “I was told to just break sharp and find our spot. She was very comfortable the whole way. I knew if anyone was going to beat us, they were going to have to run one heckuva race.”

Sunday’s stakes score was the fourth win in 10 starts for Greeley’s Rocket, who races in the colors of Richard L. Davis. The filly by Mr. Greeley from the American Chance mare Clay’s Rocket has now earned $181,591.