Gottcha Gold a runaway winner at Iselin Stakes
Brother Bobby rallies for second; Indy Wind third in Grade III race

OCEANPORT - Centaur Farms' Gottcha Gold broke on top but was headed early by Barcola before opening up around the far turn and romping home a four-anda half length winner in the $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday before a crowd of 11,114.

Trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., Gottcha Gold carved out fractions of :23 for the quarter and :46 for the half before cruising to six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 and reported home in 1:48 1/5 for the mile and an eighth over a fast main track.

"I made sure I got inside of Hennig's horse [Barcola] into the first turn," said winning rider Chuck C. Lopez. "That was really the only problem I had.

"My main concern was the extra eighth of a mile to negotiate," Lopez added. "My plan was to get him out there and go along as easy as possible. I wasn't looking back at all. If they wanted to beat me, they'd have to come and catch me. My job is to just keep him running and keep him happy.

"Eddie's done a very good job and has him going so good right now."

Gottcha Gold returned $32.20, $13.80 and $7.80 in the Grade 3 Iselin and topped a $308.80 exacta. Brother Bobby returned $8.60 and $5.40 coming home four-and-ahalf lengths ahead of Indy Wind, who paid $5.60 to show. Master Command, the 6-5 favorite, checked in fourth in the field of eight colts and geldings.

"Needless to say, the race unfolded like I hoped. Chuckie rode an outstanding race," said Plesa, who watched the race from his Trained by Ramon Preciado, Cherokee Florida headquarters. "He showed another dimension today, that he doesn't need the lead. I thought he was dismissed today. I never thought he should've been 15-1. He just loves New Jersey."

Lopez agreed, stating, "I was quite surprised he was 15-1, he beat Lawyer Ron last [time] out and he came back to win the Whitney and shattered the track record."

Gottcha Gold was coming off a win in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile here on June 23, besting Lawyer Ron that day by a neck.

Stewart Elliot, who rode second-place finisher Brother Bobby, was impressed with Gotcha Gold's finishing strength.

"My horse was getting in gear heading into the stretch and I thought I could get to him, but then I looked up and he was still running on," he said. "The track's been playing toward speed so I wasn't sure the speed would come back. In the stretch, the other horse just kept running and didn't come back."

As for future plans with Gottcha Gold, "We'll definitely look a the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile [here on Oct. 26], no doubt about that," Plesa said. "I might sit still on him until then. He likes the surface and I'm not sure he'll need a race between now and then."

The Iselin win marked the seventh in 22 starts for the 4-year-old colt by Coronado's Quest from the Pleasant Tap mare Gottcha Last. He now sports a Monmouth Park record of 5-2-0 from nine tries in Oceanport. The $180,000 winner's share boosted his lifetime bankroll to $487,420.

In the $60,000 Anderson Fowler Stakes, Victory Thoroughbreds' Cherokee Country went from last to first at the eighth pole before opening up to a convincing four length score with little urging from jockey Jose Lezcano. Country returned $4.20 and $2.80 as the favorite in the field reduced to four runners after it was switched to the main track. Heezafrequentflyer, who dueled through the early fractions of :21 4/5 and :45 flat, held second to complete a $19.20 exacta and paid $4.20 to place. Southwestern Heat was third with Tempt Me Not fourth. There was no show wagering in the Anderson Fowler.

A 3-year-old colt by Yonaguska from the Tri Jet mare Jetazelle, Cherokee Country has now earned $216,610 with a record of 7- 3-1 from 13 starts. He stepped the five-anda half furlongs over the fast main track in 1:03 3/5.

In other Saturday stakes action, Atoned took command turning for home and increased his margin to three lengths at the wire, winning the $60,000 Continental Mile in 1:38 4/5 over the fast main track.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Chris DeCarlo Atoned returned $6.80, $4.80 and $2.80 and topped a $34 exacta. Hop Skip and Away closed for the place and paid $5.20 and $3.80. It was another 4 3.4 lengths back to the favorite Run Sully Run who paid $2.80 to show in the field of seven 2-year-olds.

A colt by Repent from the Icecapade mare Amidst, Atoned recorded his second consecutive win in taking the Continental Mile, a race originally scheduled for turf. He has now earned $65,087 for owner Dogwood Stable.

Bravo a near certainty for 13th title,

Pletcher, Kazamias lead

With just 10 days of racing to go at the 2007 Monmouth Park meeting, Joe Bravo appears poised to take an unprecedented 13th riding title at the Oceanport Racetrack. Through 65 days of racing, Bravo has 96 winners, 21 more than his closest competitor, Eclipse Award winner Eddie Castro.

Jose Lezcano is third in the overall standings with 64 victories, 11 more than Chuck C. Lopez. Rajiv Maragh rounds out the top five with 50 trips to the winners' circle.

Over in the trainer's column, Todd Pletcher shows the way with 30 wins, four more than Jason Servis, who has one victory more than Bruce Levine. Richard Dutrow Jr. is fourth with 23 wins, a pair more than Patricia Farro.

The owner's race has Peter Kazamias atop the standings with 12 victories, two more than Patricia Generazio. Tied in third with eight wins apiece are the trio of Presidential Thoroughbreds, Leo-Sag Stable and John Petrini.

The 2007 Monmouth Park meeting runs through Sunday, Sept. 2 with Thoroughbred action shifting north to the Meadowlands on Monday, Sept. 3. Racing will return to Oceanport from Oct. 24-27, when Monmouth Park plays host to the 2007 Breeders' Cup.

New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival

returns on Sunday

The New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary this Sunday with an entire race card dedicated to horses bred in the Garden State. Four stakes are on tap for New Jersey-Bred Day: Charles Hesse Handicap, Eleven North Handicap, Friendly Lover Handicap and the Jersey Girl Handicap.

In addition, the Monmouth Coaching Invitational will be on hand with horse drawn coaches on display and a demonstration down the home stretch. For details and reservations, contract the Monmouth Conservation Foundation at (732) 671-7000.