Vincent Annarella’s Holly Crest Farm, trainer Eddie Owens, and jockey Samuel Marin won two of three New Jersey-bred stakes run Sunday at Monmouth Park. Owens cleverly entered the mare Riding Pretty against males in the $127,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap and came away with a neck win. Three races later, Great Navigator cruised to an easy win in the $102,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap.
Bel Pensiero won the third stakes race on an all-New Jersey-bred card, landing the $108,000 Eleven North Handicap by a head.
Speaking, who won the New Jersey Breeders Handicap in 2022 and 2023 (he didn’t run in last year’s renewal), was supposed to be the horse for Holly Crest and Owens but wound up last as the 6-5 favorite in the New Jersey Breeders. Instead, Great Navigator, a blowout winner of the 2023 Hesse, a two-turn dirt contest, tracked the leaders, took over on the far turn with a sharp move, and ran off to a 4 1/4-length score in the New Jersey Breeders. Great Navigator, carrying 122 pounds, one fewer than high-weighted Speaking, clocked 1:10.09 for six furlongs on a fast track and paid $13.20. No Cents finished a distant second followed by Grouch. Holly Crest bred Great Navigator, a son of Sea Wizard and the Stephen Got Even mare, All Even.
Riding Pretty ($9.60) showed her versatility winning the two-turn Hesse a year after capturing the sex-restricted Eleven North over six furlongs. Marin sat sixth during the early and middle stages and launched a big far-turn move that propelled Riding Pretty to the lead and a three-length advantage at the stretch call. But Riding Pretty was all out to hold on by a neck over Forever Chocolate, whom she’d clipped past a couple furlongs earlier. Amatteroftime finished third, odds-on pacesetting favorite Wildncrazynight a fading fourth. Riding Pretty carried 118 pounds, four fewer than top-weighted Last Romance, and ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:46.12. Another Holly Crest homebred, she’s by Jack Milton out of High Renaissance, by Girolamo.
Bel Pensiero, second by a head to Riding Pretty in the 2024 Eleven North, held on by a head over longshot My Two Sophia’s to capture this year’s renewal. Sitting second most of the trip under Ramon Moya, Bel Pensiero came between horses in midstretch, hit the front, and narrowly held clear a wide run from My Two Sophia’s, who finished one length clear of Howler. Mia’s Crusade, the 2-1 favorite, checked in eighth.
Anthony Margotta trains Bel Pensiero for A R M Racing, her breeder, and Hudson Stable. Second choice while carrying 122 pounds, one fewer than top-weighted Mia’s Crusade, Bel Pensiero paid $7.40 to win and was timed in 1:11.23 for six furlongs. The 5-year-old mare is by Army Mule out of Milaya, by Eskendereya.
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