Favored Yummy With Butter, ridden with procession by Paco Lopez, made it consecutive grade III wins on the Monmouth Park turf with a 3 1/4-length tally in the $100,500 Cliff Hanger Stakes (VIDEO) Sept. 4.
Well-placed along the inside while racing fourth, 19-10 pick Yummy With Butter split rivals at the quarter pole and responded to urging in the lane to take command at the eighth pole. The 7-year-old Silvador gelding kicked away from there to defeat Cherokee Lord with ease.
The runner-up drifted out on the turn for home under Julio Felix but re-rallied in the lane to edge Sleepless Knight and Angel Serpa by three-quarters of a length.
Irish-bred Sayif, as expected, set a solid pace (:22.61, :45.20, 1:08.76) before tiring to fifth.
Yvon Belsoeur took over training duties on Yummy With Butter this winter at Tampa Bay Downs for owner Bruno Schickedanz. The consistent competitor has two wins and four placings in seven starts since the switch from trainer Greg De Gannes was made. Richard Lister bred the winning dark bay in Ontario, Canada. Yummy With Butter is out of Sophisticatedbagel, by Kris S.
Yummy With Butter won the 1 1/16-mile Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth by 1 1/4 lengths July 31, wearing down Sayif once again for the victory. He improved her career record to 7-7-8 in 32 races with earnings of $576,824.
“He’s really at the top of his game right now," Belsoeur said. "I don’t know what it is. He’s just getting it. There was plenty of speed in the race and we got an inside trip. Sometimes things don’t work out with that kind of trip, but today things opened up perfectly. We’re just taking it one step at a time for right now.”
Lopez said the trip could not have gone better.
“He broke well and got us into perfect position," Lopez said. "He was able to relax early on. I waited to ask him and as soon as I did, he just kicked home. He did it so easily today.”
Carrying 118 pounds, Yummy With Butter paid $5.80, $3.40, and $2.10. Cherokee Lord, who had a two-race win streak snapped for trainer Charlie Livesay, returned $7.20 and $3.60. The exacta was worth $37.20. Sleepless Knight, who closed boldly from last in the field of six to loom as a danger before flattening out in the stretch, paid $2.40 to show.
Mata Keranjang ran fourth, followed by Sayif and the million-dollar earner Get Serious, who finsihed 16 lengths behind the winner. The 7-year-old multiple graded stakes winner lost for only the sixth time in 16 starts on the Monmouth lawn.
Yummy With Butter wins the Cliff Hanger Stakes.
