Get Serious (inside) would not let Nownownow pass him in the Red Bank (Christiana Scavuzzo/Equi-Photo)

Despite a rough start and losing pacesetting duties to At the Disco (Disco Rico), GET SERIOUS (City Zip) still managed to pull out a neck victory in Sunday's $197,500 Red Bank S. (G3) at Monmouth Park, pushing his earnings past the $1 million mark in the process. The $120,000 winner's share boosted the John Forbes trainee's lifetime earnings to $1,000,691, but it wasn't an easy win.

"He stumbled pretty badly, which I think cost him getting to the lead," Forbes said. "He overcame a lot. He was giving some weight, stumbled, didn't really have the perfect scenario, but still overcame it."

Get Serious didn't so much break out of the gate as he did stumble, then was bumped, bounced and crowded while still recovering from the earlier trouble. At the Disco was one of those who bumped Get Serious and took full advantage of the 3-5 favorite's problems to range up and take command. By the time Pablo Fragoso had Get Serious settled in stride, At the Disco was firmly in the lead. Fragoso didn't panic, though, but instead allowed Get Serious to stalk just in behind through splits of :21 4/5, :45 and 1:08 1/5.

It was nip/tuck between Get Serious and Nownownow on the wire (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo)

"He trained great coming into this race, chased a horse loose on the lead, collared him, and lowered his own track record," Forbes commented. "If he comes out of this race as good as he's been coming out of his races, we can't rule out Churchill (and the Breeders' Cup Mile [G1] on November 6)."

Campaigned by James M. Dinan, Jacques J. Moore and Phantom House Farm, Get Serious was worth $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10 to his backers. Nownownow, the near 7-2 second choice, gave back $3.40 and $2.40 while ending the $8.60 exacta. Boots Ahead (Storm Boot) was another 4 1/4 lengths adrift in third to pay $2.80 as the 9-2 third pick. The trifecta returned $18.80 and the 4-3-1-5 superfecta totaled $60.20. At the Disco, Strike Again (Dixie Union) and Legal Move (Bold Executive) completed the order under the wire after General Perfect (Perfect) was withdrawn.

Get Serious posted a neck victory in last year's Red Bank, and last out successfully defended his title in the upgraded Oceanport S. (G3) by the same margin. He also captured the Monmouth S. (G3) in mid-June, leaving his only off-the-board run this year as a bumpy, dueling fifth in the United Nations S. (G1). The six-year-old gelding has also scored in the 2009 running of the Elkwood S. at Monmouth as well as the 2008 Alysheba S. at the Meadowlands. His career line now reads 30-13-2-2.