Medea gets revenge in Eatontown
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Cornerstone Thoroughbreds' homebred Medea had been defeated previously by a couple of her rivals in Saturday's Grade 3, $103,000 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth, but the Irish-bred mare gained revenge in her stakes debut. Trained by Tres Abbott and ridden by Forest Boyce, the 5-1 chance drove to the fore down the lane and completed 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41 4/5. Medea, a well-bred daughter of Danehill Dancer, was capitalizing on an opportunity opened up by the scratch of 2-1 morning-line favorite Orion Moon. In her absence, Nashly's Vow was bet down to 9-5 favoritism. Lonesome Town, the 5-2 second choice, was fastest out of the gate and down the chute, but Nashly's Vow soon sprinted to overtake her and rattled off splits of :24 2/5 and :49. Meanwhile, Medea was well placed in a tracking third, just to the outside of Lonesome Town. Settled in fourth was Triple Arch, who had beaten Medea in an allowance at Gulfstream Park last December. Dido, most recently victorious in a May 24 Pimlico allowance in which Medea was fifth, bided her time at the rear. |
Rounding the far turn, the stalking pair accosted Nashly's Vow through six
furlongs in 1:12 3/5, and they raced three abreast cornering for home. Medea
gained the upper hand and worked her way clear of Lonesome Town and Nashly's
Vow. Triple Arch and comebacker Rusty Slipper both delivered strong late runs,
but not enough to threaten the winner. Medea had one length to spare over Triple
Arch and returned $13.60 to her loyalists.
"She broke well and we got set up perfectly," Boyce said. "I was confident in
her the whole time. I had plenty of horse. She's a pretty gritty filly."
Triple Arch edged Lonesome Town and Rusty Slipper in a three-way finish for
the runner-up spot. Rusty Slipper, who had not raced since her victory in the
Little Silver here 13 months ago, was a half-length on top of Dido, her
stablemate from the Graham Motion barn. Nashly's Vow and Misty in Malibu rounded
out the order under the wire, and Lady Ten was withdrawn like Orion Moon.
Medea's successful introduction to stakes company advanced her record to
11-3-4-3, $195,347. Initially trained by Sir Michael Stoute in England, she
placed in all three of her attempts in maidens. The lightly-raced chestnut
joined Abbott ahead of her four-year-old campaign in 2013. After breaking her
maiden at Belmont in her second U.S. start in September, Medea cleared her
entry-level allowance condition two outings later at Aqueduct in November. She
had been plying her trade in second-level allowances, finishing third to Triple
Arch and to English Class at Gulfstream, and throwing in an uncharacteristic
effort when fifth last time at Pimlico.
The five-year-old was produced by the unraced Giant's Causeway mare Scoop of
Gold, who is herself a three-quarter sister to multiple Grade 1-winning
millionaire and sire High Yield. With Medea's third dam being Group 3 heroine
and classic-placed Leap Lively, she hails from the family of champion and
classic winner Forest Flower.
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