BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Graded stakes-placed twice against some of the best of his class, Florida-bred Neoequos earned his first stakes victory Friday with a runaway performance in the $95,000 Jersey Shore at Monmouth Park. Featuring just four 3-year-olds after two scratches, the Jersey Shore was contested over six furlongs.

Jockey Paco Lopez sent recent Parx allowance winner Fire Pit to the front from post two as Samuel Marin allowed Neoequos a comfortable beginning, placing him second after breaking from post four. Undefeated stakes-winner Donut God, making his first start as a 3-year-old, raced in third on the rail. 

“I wasn’t worried about the longshot [Fire Pit] making the lead like he did,” Marin said. “I had a lot of horse. The one I was worried about was Donut God and he didn’t break as well as he should have.” 

Neoequos allowed Fire Pit to lead through a quarter mile in :22.55 before turning up the pressure into the turn and taking over past the five-sixteenths pole to lead by a length at the top of the stretch. Donut God tried to get to close after turning for home but Neoequos began draw off with a furlong to run, finishing nearly four lengths clear in 1:09.51 on the fast track. Donut God was second, seven-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of Fire Pit in third. Persisten was fourth and last. Gunmetal and Pedro Nunes scratched.

“I just let my horse get comfortable on his own and when I asked him he was there for me,” Marin said. “Donut God made a little run at us. I took a look back and saw him right behind me coming out of the turn. But I was still in hand. I was just waiting on my horse to tell him to go. He’s just a classy horse. He was much the best. He did it on his own today. I didn’t have to ask him at all.”

Neoquos was sent postward at 1-5 and paid $2.60 to win.

 

“I think the class relief helped and I think being back at this distance [six furlongs] helped,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “One turn is probably what he wants to do. He’ll probably go as far as a mile. I’m just happy to get the horse his first stakes win and I thought he did it the right way. Donut God made a run at us at the top of the stretch and it looked like he might get us. But Samuel Marin knew he had horse and when he asked him to go he really responded and finished well.”

Earlier this year, Neoequos was third in the both the $1.02 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa (Grade 1) and Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park to qualify for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 3. He led through a half mile in the Fountain of Youth before surrendering to future Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes (G1)-winner Sovereignty and had the lead at the top of the stretch in the Florida Derby but was passed by winner Tappan Street and Sovereignty in the lane. He also pressed the pace from second in the Kentucky Derby before fading to finish 13th.

“He’s lost twice to Sovereignty, so when you look back I’m more gratified the way he was running then,” Joseph said. “We talked to the ownership group and decided to take a step back and run him in an easier spot and then go back up again. So things worked out perfectly in this race.”  

In one start since the Derby, the son of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic was ninth in the Woody Stephens (G1) over a muddy seven furlongs on the Belmont Stakes undercard on June 7.

“In [the Woody Stephens] he didn’t break well and lost all position,” Joseph said. “He really didn’t get a good trip that race. I think he ran a lot better than that race looks on paper.”

Neoequos has now won three with two seconds and two thirds with earnings of $354,050 for owners C Two Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC, Stefania Farms LLC, Ken T. Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch.

Bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and Matt Vuskovich’s Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC, Neoequos is out of the stakes-placed mare Bold Birdie, by Birdstone. Bold Birdie has six foals and four starters, all winners. She has an unnamed yearling filly by Mutassaabeq and was bred to Doppleganger in 2024. Bold Birdie is a half-sister to Quality Lass, winner of the $200,000 Turf Amazon Handicap at Parx Racing and $100,000 Satin and Lace at Presque Isle Downs in 2014; and stakes-placed Tenacity Lass. Vuskovich purchased Bold Birdie for $10,000 in the name of his Matalona Thoroughbreds at the 2015 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Joseph purchased Neoequos as a yearling for $22,000 out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Sale where he was consigned by Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm.

NOTES: Neoequos is the sixth Florida-bred winner of the Jersey Shore going back to Montbrook’s three-and-a-quarter-length score in the Listed Jersey Shore Budweiser Breeeders’ Cup in 1993 under jockey Clarence Ladner. Other Florida-bred winners of the race include Real Talk in 2021 and First Deal in 2019. Rustlewood Farm homebred Prudhoe Bay and Peachtree Stables’ Flashpoint won the Jersey Shore as a Grade 3 in 2014 and 2011 respectively.

Neoequos is the 45th Florida-bred winner of an open black-type stakes this year in North America.

Neoequos was the third Florida-bred winner at Monmouth Park Friday after trainer Diane Morici and owner Morici Racing Stable made up the daily double with Florida-breds Lance’s Smile winning the first race and Putthepastbehindus taking Race 2.

Lance’s Smile won a $10,000 maiden claiming for fillies and mares going six furlongs. Ridden by Ferando Jara, Lance’s Smile went three wide to take over in the turn and win by two-and-a-half lengths in 1.12.22. She is by Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister out of Discreet Darling, by Discreet Cat and was bred by Juan Rodriguez.

Lance’s Smile paid $19.60 to win.

Puthepastbehindus then took the second race, a $7,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds and older which have never won two races. Paco Lopez guided Putthepastbehindus to a three-quarter-length victory while finishing five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf in 1.05.16. Florida-bred Ave’s Makin Waves was second for a Florida-bred $1 exacta that paid $20.40.

Putthepastbehindus paid $2.80 to win and the Florida-bred daily double returned $19.70 for $1.

Dancing Wild Stables bred Putthepastbehindus. The 5-year-old gelding is by Gone Astray out of White Hands, by Exchange Rate.

Puthepastbehindus was claimed by trainer Sergio Rabadan for owner Chelsea Sims for $7,500.

Return to the July 18 issue of Wire to Wire