Vigilantes Way Among Seven Lopez Winners at Monmouth

It may be true that records are made to be broken, but jockey Paco Lopez keeps tying his own at Monmouth Park. Lopez matched the record he set twice in 2014 by winning seven races on Aug. 28 14-race card, capping the performance with a half-length victory aboard Phipps Stable’s homebred Vigilantes Way in the $100,000 Miss Liberty Stakes.

Lopez, well on his way to an eighth Monmouth Park riding title, won five consecutive races spanning the fifth through ninth races before matching his track record in the co-featured Miss Liberty Stakes aboard the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.

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“When I looked at the horses I was riding today I felt good. I felt quite a few had a shot,” said Lopez, who won the Charles Town Oaks (G3) aboard R Adios Jersey Aug. 27 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. “I am very grateful to do this again. I guess the next thing I have to get to is eight wins here.”

The Shug McGaughey-trained Vigilantes Way ($3.20) covered 1 1/16 miles over a turf course listed as “good” in 1:43.14, having just enough to hold off the late-running Miss Teheran . It was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third to Counterparty Risk .

Also on Saturday, Peace Sign Stable’s Belgrano scored a two-length victory in the $100,000 Rainbow Heir Stakes under Issac Castillo. It marked the first time 79-year-old trainer Frank Russo saddled a winner in a six-figure race.