Takethemoneyhoney won her fourth race from five starts beating three rivals in the $95,000 Serena’s Song Stakes on Sunday at Monmouth Park.
Setting a slow pace under Eliseo Ruiz, Takethemoneyhoney fended off a prolonged challenge from Catherine Wheel to score by a nose.
The Serena’s Song marked Takethemoneyhoney’s stakes and two-turn debut, the 4-year-old filly having captured a seven-furlong maiden race and two one-turn-mile allowance contests. Catherine Wheel, who pipped her in an Aqueduct allowance in which Takethemoneyhoney had the much tougher trip, is the only horse to have beaten Takethemoneyhoney.
Third, a neck behind Catherine Wheel, came odds-on favorite Power Squeeze, who took the worst of things racing last of four while wide as Takethemoneyhoney strolled through a half-mile in a slow 48.96. Power Squeeze traveled well enough and closed ground on the leader, but was undone by the pace, the short Monmouth homestretch, and a one-mile, 70-yard distance likely short of her best. Power Squeeze last summer won the Grade 1 Alabama over 1 1/4 miles.
Takethemoneyhoney debuted last summer at trainer Michael Moore’s Parx Racing base, winning a maiden sprint by more than 13 lengths. Moore told Monmouth publicity Sunday that the strength of the filly’s debut performance surprised him, but no sooner had Takethemoneyhoney burst onto the scene, than she left the stage, requiring time to get her body right, Moore said earlier this week.
Takethemoneyhoney, a Maryland homebred who races for Kasey K Racing Stable, Michael Day, and Final Turn Stable, is by Golden Lad out of Goodonehoney, by Great Notion. Moore trained the dam, too, and said she was equally adept routing and sprinting. Takethemoneyhoney’s one-turn-mile wins gave Moore some confidence the filly could handle a true route, and she did, if just barely and while controlling the pace.
Takethemoneyhoney was timed in 1:42.10 and paid $6 as the second choice. Vincey Girl finished fourth, while Beach Daze and Morning Matcha were scratched.
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