Exotics Plays for the Monroe Stakes

A total of 11 fillies and mares will travel 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park green in Saturday’s $75,000 Monroe S. I feel that a trio of horses can win the contest while a few others have a right to gain a share under the line with the right trip, so I will attempt to be creative with my wagers. 

Monroe Stakes Exotics

• $1.50 trifecta 6,7,9 with 6,7,9 with 2,5,6,7,9 ($27)
• 50-cent superfecta 6 with 7,9 with 2,5,7,9 with all ($24)

The Todd Pletcher-trained #6 Life’s an Audible was never involved from a wide post draw in the Honey Fox S. (G3) in her last outing, but the four-year-old is a Grade 3 heroine on the course, and I expect her to be at her best on Saturday. The Kentucky-bred chestnut has raced herself back into shape following a long layoff, and I expect her to get a much better voyage in this spot and to be a menacing figure in the late stages under Edgard Zayas. 

#7 Breath Away ran into a peaking lass last time out when third in the Sand Springs S. on the surface and is an obvious top-three inclusion in the affair. One of two major players in the cast for conditioner Christophe Clement, the Bated Breath mare has won or placed in four of her five lifetime races on the course, and while she is far from a win machine, the five-year-old is always well placed in the stretch. Paco Lopez has the assignment. 

Honey Fox sixth #9 Ozara, also from the Clement shedrow, is a lightly raced four-year-old with room for improvement as the possible one to beat in the contest. The daughter of Lope de Vega is a two-time stakes victress on the grounds and comes in for just her third run in 13 months. The tactical bay filly will have Emisael Jaramillo in the silks. 

For the lower rungs of the gimmicks, I will also use Mark Casse’s stakes vixen #5 Dancing N Dixie, and Antonio Sano’s #2 De Regresso, who annexed the 2024 Honey Ryder S. on this course. 

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