BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred Gerrards Cross remained undefeated in her second start with gate to wire victory in the $112,000 Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park Sunday. The James Michael Chicklo homebred dominated seven other 2-year-old fillies throughout the six-furlong contest on the grass, winning by two-and-half lengths with Sonny Leon aboard.

Sent to the gate with odds of nearly 14-1, Gerrards Cross burst from post four and was quickly clear of 9-2 second choice Pulstar and Slick Merlin at 12-1 as blazed through a :21.29 quarter mile. Pulstar pulled to within a length around the turn but could not keep up with Gerrards Cross, who stretched her lead in the run for home to finish in :57.50 on the firm turf. Slick Merlin resumed second, finishing a half-length ahead of Nacho Problem in third. They were followed by 9-5 favorite Spinelli, Florida-bred Golden Beach, Pultstar, Fire On the Wire and Spectacular Grey. Clowning Around, Thank you Amy and Santina were scratched.

“She’s just natural with her speed. Look at the fractions,” winning trainer Kathleen O’Connell saud. “You could see she was doing it easily. I don’t think she necessarily had to have the lead. I just think she needed to get out of there and be forwardly placed.”

Gerrards Cross paid $29.80 to win.

“I worked the filly last week, and she worked very good,” said Leon said. “I feel she has a lot of talent. Once I saw that, I said to my agent I think we should stay with her because (Kathleen O’Connell) supporting me.

“She was ready for the race today. She ran like a bullet.”

A six-length winner of a maiden special weight for Florida-bred fillies going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on June 6, Gerrards Cross remained undefeated in two starts and with the $60,000 first-place check, increased her earnings to $85,800.

Gerrards Cross is by Midshipman out of Spanish Concert, by Concerto.

Also trained by O’Connell and owned by Chicklo during her racing career, Spanish Concert earned $232,365, winning eight of 31 career starts including the 2017 Minaret at Tampa Bay Downs.

Spanish Concert has produced three winners from four starters and five foals, including multiple stakes-placed Dream Concert, by Jess’s Dream. She has a yearling filly, Roccarosso Rocket, by Khozan; and a weanling colt by Connect, both bred in Florida by James Michael Chicklo.

“Even though [Gerrards Cross] had all of that [turf] pedigree, we decided to try her on the dirt for her first start. She had worked well over it,” O’Connell said. “Since there were no Florida Stallion Stakes for her and she is by Midshipman, I suggested to Mr. Chicklo to move her up north so we could get real turf and if we didn’t get turf we already knew she liked the dirt.

“She’s got a great mind and that helps a lot but you always worry about a surface change. She has been such a good filly mentally it lessened the concern.”

Return to the July 29 issue of Wire to Wire