Forza Di Oro returns after an extended break in Iselin

Last Forza Di Oro running, he finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) with fifth place shown in Woodward Stakes (G1) behind Art collector .

After 322 days of being laid off, my 5-year-old son Sightstown will mark his return — with new connections — on August 20 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

The 87th Iselin Stakes, a “Win and You Go” race for the Dirt Mile Big Ass Breeders’ Cup (G1) fans, drew a field of six, including trained Chad Brown. Highly motivated who won the Monmouth Cup (G3) in his last match.

“He’s been doing great since we got him,” said Dan Ward, who oversees the Hall of Famer Hollendorfer chain at Monmouth Park. “He came to us in great form and we spent time preparing him. He is a beautiful horse.”

Forza Di Oro, who won Discovery Stakes (G3) in 2020, is the mystery horse in the sixteen-mile race for kids ages 3 and up, with just eight career starts — four wins — and because of the long layoff. But he has the advantage of leading driver Paco Lopez on Saturday.

“Looking at him, I see a couple of bad starts, ants crawling at the gate, hesitating, staying put. We took him to the school gates at least 10 times just to make sure he was okay. He’s on good terms,” ​​said Ward, who ranks third for Hollendorfer in the coach rankings with 20 wins, four games behind current leader Claudio Gonzalez. “He’s a good workhorse. Every time we work with him, Paco is here to work with him. He’s so excited for him. From the first time he worked, he he said ‘whenever this horse works, I want to work with him.’

“He did a lot to get this horse ready.”

Ward is also counting on a bit of help at home, along with the knowledge that Forza Di Oro has twice won through protracted layoffs. He won a grant at Belmont Park on October 9, 2020, after 307 days of being fired and won the right to claim optional benefits at Racecourse Saratoga on July 21, 2021, after 235 days of idle.

Owned by Don Alberto Stable, the Kentucky-bred Forza Di Oro will have his first bout outside of New York. He earned $329,375 for his career.

“It looks like he can do anything – go ahead or go from behind, two turns, one turn, he can get out of the sack,” Ward said. “He’s got a lot of class and he’s run with some very good horses.”

Iselin Stakes also includes people trained by Todd Pletcher Promise Keeper the winner of the 2021 Peter Pan Stakes (G3), Monmouth Park’s recent allowance option claim winner Sagamore Mischief Authorized Testamony Stakes Winner Ridin With Biden and the 2021 winner Salvator Mile (G3) Lots of information .

This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse Staff.