Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey
Trainer Eddie Owens, Jr. had a trio of highlights to choose from after Sunday’s New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival at Monmouth Park, with Sea Streak winning the Charles Hesse III Handicap, Riding Pretty taking the Eleven North Handicap and Rock the Rainbow, a 2-year-old filly who won her debut by 18 lengths.
He opted for Riding Pretty as his stable star of the day.
“For me today Riding Pretty was the most impressive,” he said. “She hadn’t sprinted since she was 2 years old. So that was impressive. The filly (Rock the Rainbow) I knew would run well. I didn’t know she would win by that but I knew she was ready. But Riding Pretty was the most impressive of the three winners for me today. “
Besides Owens and his three winners, the headliners on the 12-race state-bred card were jockey Jairo Rendon, who rode four winners, and sire Sea Wizard, who saw five of his offspring win.
One of those five was Sea Streak, who overcame a slow start, was wide early and then had enough left to score a 1½-length victory over Amatteroftime in the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap.
The winning time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:45.39.
Sea Streak was coming off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes.
“I was a little worried. He got too far back. But he was the best horse,” said Owens. “He lost a shoe. We don’t know when, but Jairo Rendon said in the stretch he was getting in a little bit. I don’t know if that affected them. He outclassed them today.”
Sea Streak, a Holly Crest Farm homebred, recorded his third victory from 10 career starts, with seven of those on-the-board finishes. Owens said the 3-year-old gelded son of Sea Wizard will now get a prolonged rest.
Though appearing a bit sluggish at times, Sea Streak flashed some of the form that saw him win the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park on May 11 by 7¼ lengths.
No Cents, who battled Sea Streak for the early part of the stretch, held for third.
“I wanted to be right there with him but it got a little crowded, so I decided to take him back a bit and let the pressure go away,” said Rendon. “I took him outside where he would be relaxed. He lost a shoe, maybe out the gate because he jumped to the inside at the start. I’m not exactly sure when it happened. But he was good enough in here.”
Sea Streak paid $2.80 to win in the field of eight 3-year-olds and up. It was his first time facing older horses.
Riding Pretty, usually a solid closer, dueled with Bel Pensiero for most of the stretch of the six-furlong Eleven North Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, finally pulling away for a one-length victory.
The winning time was 1:10.34.
It marked the 4-year-old filly’s first time sprinting in her past 17 starts.
“I blew her out in :34 on Thursday to make sure I had enough speed in her,” said
Owens. “I was just hoping she didn’t fall too far behind early. But being a race where there wasn’t a lot of speed I knew they were not going in 21 (seconds) for the first quarter so I expected her to be a little closer than normal.
“There was really only one speed horse. When we didn’t shake her (Bel Pensiero) at the top of the stretch I was a little worried because that other filly is a good one. Jairo timed it just right. I knew we were going to have run by Bel Pensiero and it was better that we fought her from the top of the stretch than the sixteenth pole to the wire. I don’t know if we would have won if he waited.”
Riding Pretty paid $3.00 to win. Bel Pensiero was 7¾ lengths better than Beach Daze in third.
Rock the Rainbow, a daughter of Sea Wizard, toyed with her six rivals in her romp.
Sea Wizard stands at Pegasus Farm in Colts Neck.