June 14, 2026
Odds-on favorite Program Trading ranged up outside on the backstretch, bid three wide on the far turn and kicked clear in the lane for a two-length win Saturday in the listed, $125,000 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Flavien Prat rode the winner for trainer Chad Brown in the 18th running of the 1 1/8-mile turf race for three-year-olds and up.
He’s one of 14 winners and 4 Stakes winners to emerge from the famed Hidden Brook Florida training center so far in 2026.
Naptown and Eldest Son went after the early lead, with Naptown clearing to set the opening quarter-mile in 24.87 seconds. Sand Pipes moved up along the rail leaving the clubhouse turn, took over and led through a half in 50.01 and three-quarters in 1:14.21. Program Trading sat near the back of the field of six before launching his run.
Prat tipped Program Trading three wide entering the stretch, collared Sand Pipes and drew off when asked. The 6-year-old reached the mile in 1:37.31 and hit the wire in 1:48.71 on the firm turf. Program Trading paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.
Nebras (13-2), under Tyler Gaffalione, trailed the field early, advanced at the quarter pole and finished fastest of all out wide to grab second, two lengths back. He returned $3.80 and $2.80. Sand Pipes (7-1), ridden by Paco Lopez for Lindsay Schultz, dug in gamely along the inside and held third, a half-length farther back, paying $2.80 to show.
Ridari (8-1) bid four wide and was outkicked in fourth. Eldest Son (53-1) checked in fifth and Naptown (14-1), who helped force the early pace, weakened to finish last of the six. Belouni and Multitask were scratched.
Program Trading, a 6-year-old ridgling by Lope de Vega, races for Klaravich Stables and was bred in Great Britain by Fittocks Stud and Arrow Farm & Stud. The victory ended a winless run dating to May 2024 and came as a sharp class drop after a campaign full of Grade 1 assignments.
“This was a big class drop for him (after racing in eight Grade 1s since 2023). We wanted to get him a little confidence back and this should help. He actually broke his maiden as a 3-year-old at Monmouth (in 2023), then he won an allowance and after that we took him to Saratoga, where he won the (Grade 1) Saratoga Derby. He’s a really good horse. I think the biggest thing to come out of this was getting his confidence back. He ran good enough here that we have to think about coming back on Haskell day (for the Grade 2 United Nations),” said Luis Cabrera, an assistant to Brown.
“This was class relief to get him some confidence and now we can go on with him. He’s been running okay lately, just not as good as he can. This could be the race that gets him going again. The ability has always been there. I think it may have been more mental than anything with him (having not won since May 4, 2024). I actually wanted to break well and get into the race immediately but he didn’t show any speed so I kind of sat behind the two frontrunners hoping at some point he would kick in. I am happy with the way he responded,” Prat said.
-edited from Monmouth Park Press Release