Otago, last for much of the race, got to the outside in upper stretch and to the wire just in time to upset the $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Axel Concepcion gave Otago a patient, well-timed ride in his first start at Monmouth Park, and trainer Kelsey Danner, a rare Monmouth participant during the last six seasons, her first Monmouth stakes victory.
Five-year-old Otago ran the race of his life while winning his first open stakes race. Florida-bred Otago won a statebred-restricted race more than two years ago at Tampa Bay Downs and neither had won nor placed in four subsequent stakes starts. In fact, Otago came into the Cliff Hanger after finishing second last out behind the stakes-class Dataman in a Laurel Park allowance race, but Danner had the horse in the right spot.
So, too, did Concepcion, as it turned out. Concepcion broke from post 7, steered left going around the short dogleg that starts off middle-distance Monmouth turf races, and angled to the rail before hitting the first of the Cliff Hanger’s two actual turns. He sat last as There Are No Words, second in this race a year ago, went a quarter-mile in 23.40 and a half in 47.47, a moderate pace by Monmouth standards. Still last while saving ground into the far turn, Otago leaned into the bend with some run, getting off the fence to come around pacepressing Belouni, who was stopping rapidly.
Concepcion before the quarter pole sent Otago between struggling Fulmineo and a trapped Signator, made his way to the far outside after cornering for home, and had enough horse beneath him to run down the two horses in front of him in the final half-furlong.
Highestdistinction, a 14-1 shot, edged 17-10 favorite Forever Souper by a head for the place. Second-choice Signator got a hopeless trip, locked on the fence with nowhere to go from the five-sixteenths pole to the three-sixteenths, and finished fifth. Belouni crossed the line but was all but eased.
Danner trains Otago for Crowns Way Racing, NBS Stable, Edward Delava and Eli Diamant. Otago is by Speightstown out of Mom’s Deputy, by War Chant, and was bred by Courtney Meagher and the Speightstown Syndicate. He was timed in 1:42.54 for 1 1/16 miles over firm going and paid $26.60 as the fifth choice.
Concepcion, who won an Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2023, made his first trip to Monmouth as did the horse beneath him Saturday. A good ride, a strong rally, and then a trip to the winner’s circle.
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