New G3 Winner for Uncle Mo
The $150,000 Grade III Monmouth Cup on Sunday was won in determined style by tough and talented campaigner Name Changer (5h Uncle Mo x Cash’s Girl, by Northern Afleet).
Trained by Alan Goldberg, Name Changer engaged in a stirring battle with runner-up Zanotti after they turned for home, eventually gaining the better of that rival to score a half length victory in the 1 and 1/8th mile contest.
“[His last race] was a head-scratcher and he was close, so we said we’ll try it because he was going really good before that last race,” said Goldberg. “Today, I thought we’d be a little farther back, but I thought that with the horses in first and second early he’d be out there going with them. This horse has been breaking better than he did in the past. He broke well, maintained his position and everything was cool from there.”
A homebred for Colts Neck Stables, Name Changer has won seven of 15 starts earning over $412,000 with this win his first in a Graded event.
He is the best of three winners from stakes-winner Cash’s Girl, a three-quarter sister to Grade I winner and sire Afleet Alex.