Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey
Patrick Moquin, DRF
Cairo Surprise was anything but in the $75,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap, going off as the heavy favorite and taking care of business for trainer Cal Lynch. A homebred for Hope Haskell Jones, the gelding has won three of his last four starts, including two New Jersey-bred stakes.
In June, Lynch crashed into the statebred stakes scene at Monmouth when the white-hot Cairo Surprise pulled clear by 6 1/4 lengths in the $80,000 John J. Reilly Handicap. The versatile 3-year-old switched to turf in July and finished third in the $100,000 My Frenchman against open-company rivals.
Back on dirt against New Jersey-breds on Saturday, it did not require much puzzling to find the horse to beat in the six-furlong sprint. Cairo Surprise went off at 1-2 and paid $3 to win.
In the first of Lopez’s three stakes victories on the card, the leading rider stalked in third in the early going, chasing behind the longshots Wildncrazynight and Speaking through a blistering opening quarter-mile in 21.97 seconds and half-mile in 44.55.
When those two front-runners faded on the far turn, Cairo Surprise was quick to take the initiative with a wide move, easily circling the pacesetters. He took a short lead at the top of the stretch and edged away.
Boardwalk Jack, who finished third behind Book’em Danno and Quint’s Brew in the $200,000 Mr. Prospector last time out, gave the favorite work to do late for trainer Eddie Owens Jr. The 4-year-old gelding was a distant runner-up to Cairo Surprise in the Reilly, but he made up far more ground in his third start this year.
The victory might not have come as easily with Boardwalk Jack bearing down, but Cairo Surprise and Lopez were clear and easily found the wire in time. He prevailed by three-quarters of a length, completing the six-furlong distance in 1:09.87.
Speaking, Owens’s other horse in the field, hung on for third at 35-1, winning his prolonged battle with Wildncrazynight and finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind Boardwalk Jack.