It was a first graded stakes win for WAR FRONT’s stakes victor Fort Washington in the Monmouth Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park on Saturday.
Racing over 1 1/8 miles on the turf, Fort Washington was content to race two paths wide alongside another runner as they entered the backstretch a few lengths behind the leaders. It wasn’t until the far turn that Fort Washington started making a serious move, racing up the outside of the pack with another horse to catch the leaders.
It was a rush to the finish with Fort Washington getting up in time to flash past the wire nose-and-nose with another horse to win in a dead heat with the third placed runner a neck back in third.
It was the fourth victory for the Magic Cap Stables representative, who has 12 top three finishes in 18 starts for $367,982 in earnings. Trained by Shug McGaughey, he has won or placed in seven stakes in his career.
Fort Washington is one of two winners from three runners out of the Grade 3 placed Azaelia, who was also fourth in the Prix de Diane (G1). Each dam on the page has produced at least one stakes performer with many of their daughters doing the same.
This is the second stakes winner in just over two weeks for WAR FRONT, whose son First World War won the Penn Mile (G3) to end May.