Winning Cause Takes Cliff Hanger

Alto Racing’s Winning Cause grabbed the lead at the top of the straight and held off the late charge of Big Blue Kitten to capture the Grade 3, $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday by a half-length.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Winning Cause covered the mile and an eighth over firm turf in 1:46.16, just .08 off the course record.   The winner returned $11, $4.80 and $2.80 and topped a $37 exacta.  Odds-on favorite Big Blue Kitten paid $2.40 and $2.10.  It was another length back to pacesetter Plainview, who paid $2.80 to show.

“I just sat back and got my horse relaxed,” said winning jockey Eddie Castro.  “Around the turn, I started to make my move and I looked back and saw that I had the jump on Big Blue Kitten and just rode hard to the wire.”

A 4-year-old colt by Giant’s Causeway from the Kingmambo mare Raffishing Look, Winning Cause sports a record of 5-7-2 from 22 starts, good for earnings of $556,274.

Source: Monmouth Park