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Monterey jazzes up the Strub A & R Stables LLC and Class Racing Stable's MONTEREY JAZZ (Thunderello) took the lead out of the gate in Saturday's $300,000 Strub S. (G2), set quick splits of :22 3/5, :45 4/5, 1:08 and 1:32 3/5, and finished an easy 4 1/2-length winner under jockey David Flores. The Craig Dollase-trained four-year-old stopped the clock in 1:45 3/5 over the Cushion Track, paying $13.60, $4.40 and $3.60 as the 5-1 third pick. "He broke good and he was relaxed, but when we got to the (clubhouse) turn he felt those other horses coming to him and he took off, so I just let him," Flores said. "I think he can go a mile and a quarter, no problem. He's just a machine right now." Monterey Jazz took four tries to break his maiden, but has finished off-the-board only once since then. He made his stakes debut in the Sir Beaufort S. (G3) prior to this one, posting a front-running length victory, and now boasts an 11-5-0-3, $347,740, record. With two straight graded victories on his record, the March 1 Santa Anita H. (G1) could be next for the dark bay. "The Santa Anita Handicap is a possibility," Dollase admitted. "He's really improved immensely, and hopefully we've got some bigger and better races down the road. He's really a freak of nature. We obviously found the right key with him now. He probably wanted to stretch out all along and I just didn't know that, so we've got a brand new horse on our hands, and he's the real deal." Classic-placed and even-money favorite Tiago (Pleasant Tap) was best of the rest by a half-length, returning $2.80 and $2.40 while ending the $16.60 exacta ($1). The Grade 1 winner could match strides with Monterey Jazz yet again in the Big 'Cap. "Somebody let the tiger out on that one, huh?" trainer John Shirreffs quipped about the Strub winner. "Put that horse back in a cage! We'll come back in the Big 'Cap (with Tiago) if all goes well. (Jockey) Mike (Smith) said he slipped breaking out of the gate a little bit and lost some ground." Monzante (Maria's Mon) completed the $85.80 trifecta when giving back $4.60 for holding the show spot at 7-1. Great Hunter (Aptitude) was another 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth to finish off the $320.10 superfecta (9-3-4-1). Next under the line were Warning Zone (Chester House), Giant Gizmo (Giant's Causeway), Slew's Tizzy (Tiznow) and Sahara Heat (A.P. Indy). Air Commander (Point Given) was withdrawn. Bred by Danzel Brendemuehl, Monterey Jazz is out of the Dynaformer mare Reefside, who also has an unraced sophomore filly named Singing My Song (Songandaprayer). The Kentucky-bred dark bay colt brought $85,000 as an OBS April two-year-old.
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