Tax Implications Takes Eatontown; Dead Heat in Monmouth

Whether they are competing at Saratoga Race Course, Aqueduct Racetrack, or Monmouth Park, the owner/trainer combination of Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown are picking up victories in the northeast. A week ago at Saratoga, they won an allowance race with General Partner and the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) with Randomized, followed June 15 by a maiden win from Unit Economics (GB) during the Belmont at the Big A meet. Then came another stakes highlight—a stalk-and-pounce victory Saturday from Tax Implications (GB) in the $152,500 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park. Brown did more than win the race; he also finished second with Amo Racing's Maman Joon (IRE), whose rally from last fell three-quarters of a length short of her stablemate. The Robert Falcone-trained Spirit And Glory (IRE), the early pacesetter, faded to third. Tax Implications and Maman Joon ran well despite a slow pace that turned the 1 1/16-mile turf race into a late dash. They were able to outquicken their rivals, with Tax Implications getting the jump on late-running Maman Joon. The winner ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:43.98 after fractions of :25.74, :51.16, and 1:15.18 established by Spirit And Glory. She paid $9.60 to win. "She was traveling the well the whole time, and when I asked her to go, she took off," winning jockey Flavien Prat said. A 4-year-old daughter of Mehmas (IRE), Tax Implications notched her first stakes win for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables after four prior stakes placings. Bred in Great Britain by Aoife Kent out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Country Madam (IRE), she is 2-4-1 in nine races with earnings of $251,210. NO SPLITTING Fort Washington, Running Bee TIGHT FINISH Brown had another win an hour later on the card with Calumet Farm's Running Bee, though he had to share this one with the Shug McGaughey-trained longshot Fort Washington in a $157,500 Monmouth Stakes (G3T) thriller. At first glance, Fort Washington, rallying outside, appeared as if he might have held a narrow edge at the finish over a gritty Running Bee, but a favorable head bob for the latter left placing judges unable to split the top two. Tawny Port ran close third ahead of Siege of Boston in fourth. The winners covered 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.70. Fort Washington paid $31.80 to win, the larger price of the two, while Running Bee returned $6.20. Kendrick Carmouche rode Magic Cap Stables' Fort Washington, and Vincent Cheminaud was aboard Running Bee. Both horses notched their first graded stakes victories in the race. Running Bee is a 5-year-old son of the late Calumet Farm stallion English Channel, bred by English Channel co-owners and Gordon Gilliam in Kentucky. He was a $19,000 buy at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale as a short yearling in 2020 by Calumet Farm from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment. Fort Washington was a $260,000 purchase from the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Raging Age Sale in 2023 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Bred by Joseph Allen and White Birch Farm out of the Turtle Bowl mare Azaelia (FR), he is a 5-year-old son of War Front, one of North America's top turf sires who stands at Claiborne Farm for $100,000.