Boisterous Captures Monmouth Stakes

While trainer Shug McGaughey may have fallen short in his bid to have Orb capture the 2013 Belmont Stakes, the veteran trainer was given some reason to celebrate Sunday when another colt in his barn, the six-year-old Boisterous, won the $200,000 Grade II Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park. Sent off as the even-money favorite, Boisterous covered the 1 1/8 miles over the Monmouth turf course in 1:48.4 to score a 1 ¼-length victory over Big Blue Kitten. It was his tenth victory overall from 24 starts for Boisterous.

Velazquez puts Boisterous in perfect position

Breaking from the #3 post under John Velazquez, Boisterous was well-positioned for the first three-quarters of a mile in fourth, but only one length off the lead of pacesetter Two Notch Road. As they hit the top of the stretch Velazquez angled the dark brown son of Distorted Humor to the outside and asked him for run. Boisterous responded willingly, overtook the leader and then pulled away from a challenge by the eventual runner-up, ridden by Joe Bravo.  Two Notch Road held on for third.

Boisterous runs well in the East

With the victory, Boisterous added another $120,000 to his career earnings, which now total more than $900,000. A six-year-old Kentucky-bred, Boisterous has done the lion’s share of his running on the East coast, with all his graded stakes victories being recorded at Belmont and Aquaduct in New York, and now Monmouth in New Jersey. He was also third in the 2011 Man O’ War stakes at Belmont, a Grade I event.  For 2013, he has one first and one second in two races so far, and his career record stands at 10 wins, three seconds and two thirds.