Immortal Eyes hangs on to win Teddy Drone
Immortal Eyes continued his big meet at Monmouth Park on Sunday, winning the $107,000 Teddy Drone, the first of seven stakes on Haskell Day.
The Maryland-based 8-year-old gelding is 3 for 3 at the meet, having earlier won a third-level allowance followed by the Mr. Prospector Stakes.
Speed is his game, and Immortal Eyes, the 3-5 favorite, had his pedal to the metal throughout the six-furlong dash. He fired away from the gate and had immediate pressure from He Can Run as they zipped through an opening quarter-mile in 21.86 seconds.
Immortal Eyes was up to the task, even when He Can Run took one more shot at him, and later when Javerre picked up the chase in the lane. Immortal Eyes dug in to hold off Javerre by a neck in 1:10.82 on the fast track with Paco Lopez aboard for trainer Damon Dilodovico.
“I was bumped a little bit on the backstretch but got to the front,” Lopez said. “Once we got to the stretch, I hit him twice, and he started to move.”
Immortal Eyes paid $3.20 to win. He’s won 16 of his 45 career starts.
He Can Run held on for third, followed by Harbor Breeze, Well Spelled, M P Joe, and Hop Skip and Away.