The Green Monkey, a record-setting $16-million purchase from Fasig-Tipton's Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training, will run in a $44,000 maiden special weight over the Hollywood Park turf course Nov. 21 as trainer Todd Pletcher seeks a win for the colt.
Thus far in two career starts, the 3-year-old son of Forestry has a third and a fourth-place finish to his name, with earnings of $7,800.
The Green Monkey shattered the world record for a Thoroughbred sold at public auction when Irish agent Demi O’Byrne purchased the colt for John Magnier of Coolmore Stud, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith in 2006. The owners sent him to Pletcher’s stable in April of that year, and he shipped into Saratoga last July. But a pulled gluteal muscle that might have been incurred during a five-furlong breeze in early August, 2006 (the colt went in 1:03 2/5) sent The Green Monkey to the sidelines. He was shipped to Ashford Stud, Coolmore’s Kentucky-based farm, to recover and returned to training this March.
The Green Monkey last worked five furlongs in 1:00 flat Nov. 15 and was listed at odds of 8/5 on the morning line among a field of 10 starters for his turf debut. Jockey Garrett Gomez has the mount in the 1 1/16-mile event, listed as race four on the card with an estimated local post time of 2:03 p.m.