Pants On Fire Seeks Monmouth Cup Repeat

George and Lori Hall's Pants On Fire makes his seasonal debut July 27 in the Monmouth Cup Stakes (gr. II) as the 6-year-old son of Jump Start   seeks to repeat his victory in the 2013 edition.

Trained by Kelly Breen, Pants On Fire will be ridden in hs 2014 debut by Paco Lopez from the 2 post in the 10-horse field for the 1 1/16-mile Monmouth Cup. The race is the 10th on the 14-race Sunday card at Monmouth Park highlighted by the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I).

In last year's Monmouth Cup, Pants On Fire took over after 3-5 favorite Take Charge Indy   sustained a career-ending condylar fracture to his left foreleg while leading by about 2 1/2 lengths. After undergoing surgery, Take Charge Indy was retired to stud at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky.

The Monmouth Cup was one of three wins in eight starts last season for Pants On Fire, who won the Ack Ack Handicap (gr. III) at Churchill Downs following his Monmouth stakes win and an allowance/optional claiming event earlier in the year.

Seventh in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), Pants On Fire was shipped to Japan where he finished last of 16 in the Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I) Dec. 1, his most recent start. He comes into the Monmouth Cup with a record of eight wins and seven placings, with earnings of $1,197,635, from 24 starts.

The highweight at 120 pounds is Long River, the Godolphin homebred who will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. A 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy produced from the $1.9-million earner and Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner Round Pond, by Awesome Again  , Long River brings a 4-3-0 record from 12 starts into the race. Winner of the Evening Attire Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in his 2014 debut, Long River is coming off a seventh when ambitiously placed in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 14 at Churchill Downs.

Todd Pletcher, North America's all-time leading trainer by earnings, will be represented in the Monmouth Cup by Repole Stable's Micromanage  , who has won or placed in three stakes from five 2014 starts. The 4-year-old son of Madeglia d'Oro won the Skip Away (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park before finishing third in the Drosselmeyer Stakes.

In the June 7 Brooklyn Invitational Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park, Micromanage, under Javier Castellano, made an impressive move rounding the turn and looked like a winner in the long stretch before being caught late by Norumbega. Micromanage will be ridden by Martin Garcia in the Monmouth Cup.

Other stakes winners in the Monmouth Cup field include Easter Gift, whose two stakes triumphs include the 2012 Smarty Jones (gr. III), and Mineshaft Stakes (gr. III) winner Bradester.