Blackstone Farm HALL OF FAME
Top Runners Bred & Raised at Blackstone Farm
TOM’S READY - $1,036,267
C. by More Than Ready - Goodbye Stranger by Broad Brush
(Sold at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga)
Kentucky Derby & Breeders’ Cup Starter
1st Woody Stephens S. (G2) Bel
1st Bold Ruler H. (G3) Bel
1st Ack Ack S. (G3) CD
1st Leemat S. PID
2nd Street Sense S. CD
2nd LeComte S. (G3) Lad
2nd Louisiana Derby (G2) Lad
3rd Churchill Downs S. (G2) CD
3rd Forego S. (G1) Sar
3rd Kelso H. (G2) Bel
BRONX BEAUTY - $696,670
F. By Liaison - Forever Sunshine by Rockport Harbor
1st Colleen S. Mth
1st Regret S. (2X, 2019 & 2020) Mth
1st Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies S.
1st New Start S.
1st Jose L. Flores Memorial S.
1st Penn Ladies Dash S.
1st Dashing Beauty S.
2nd Sugar Swirl S. (G3). etc.
THE CRITICAL WAY - $548,168
G. By Tizway - Critical Factor by Star de Naskra
(Sold at Keeneland November)
1st Parx Dash S. (G3) Prx
1st Wolf Hill S. Mth
1st Turf Dash S. Tam
1st Marshall Jenney H. Mth
1st Danzig S. Pen
3rd Shakertown S. (G3) Kee, etc,
DARK NILE - $250,230
F. by Pioneerof the Nile - Royal Society by Bernardini
(Sold at Keeneland November)
1st Delaware Oaks (G3) Del
1st Our Mims S. Del
The Critical Way Sprints to 6th Stakes Victory
May 22, 2022
At 8 years old, and coming off a nearly six-month layoff, The Critical Way showed that, as trainer Jose Delgado said, “he’s still got it.”
Sent to front quickly by jockey Angel A. Hernandez, The Critical Way blazed fast early fractions and still had plenty in reserve to score an impressive 2 ½-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth Park.
The winning time for the five furlongs over a turf course rated “good” was :55.52.
“I was a little worried going into the race, because when you come off a four- or five-month layoff you often see a horse getting tired late,” said Delgado, who won three races on the nine-race card. “But five furlongs for him is like a workout in the mornings. The only difference is it’s in the afternoon. We got him ready. We showed he can still do it.“
“I wasn’t worried about the (fast early) fractions because we discovered that he is better on the lead than coming off the pace and that’s where he was today. I told Angel (Rodriguez) to send him because five furlongs is his game.”
Sent off at 4-1 in the field of nine, The Critical Way ripped through an opening quarter in :21.08, making the opening half mile in :43.73. But there were no serious challengers late“.
He was coming off a long layoff but (Delgado) told me that he was ready,” said Rodriguez, who notched his first stakes win at Monmouth Park in his first season of riding at the track. “He told me just go to the lead with him and let him do the rest, that he knows what to do. They were fast fractions but he did it easily and he was still strong in the stretch. He’s just a fast horse.”
The gelded son of Tizway won for the 10th time in 29 career starts, earning his 6th career blacktype victory on the grass. He´s now earned $608,168.
“We gave him 90 days off (after his last 2021 star) to let him get back to being himself and to get fresh. It worked very well because it showed today he still has it. You have to pick your spots with him because he is an 8-year-old. But the one thing about 8-year-olds is they know where the wire is.”
-edited from www.monmouthpark.com