Pure Sensation Repeats in G3 Turf Monster

BENSALEM, PA – Always close but still winless in the past year, Patricia Generazio’s homebred Pure Sensation returned to the winner’s circle after successfully defending his title in Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Turf Monster Stakes at Parx.

Breaking sharply along the rail under Kendrick Carmouche as the 7/2 second choice, Pure Sensation dueled early with Smiling Causeway and Vision Perfect through opening fractions of :22.44 and :44.58. Though Smiling Causeway faded in the stretch, Pure Sensation and Vision Perfect continued to battle and were soon met by Rainbow Heir and the 2/1 favorite Imprimis. In the end, though, the Christophe Clement trainee showed his class by digging in and driving forward to win by a neck in a final time of :56.42 for the 5-furlong turf sprint.

Vision Perfect took second by a 1/2-length, while Rainbow Heir nosed out Imprimis for third. Bucchero was knocked about in the far turn and couldn’t recover well enough to do better than fifth over a weakened Smiling Causeway, while Pool Winner and Swell completed the order of finish. Blue Y Gold was scratched as the race’s lone main track only entry.

Pure Sensation’s win improved his lifetime record to 29-10-5-5 with earnings of $1,546,050. The 7-year-old gelded son of Zensational appears poised to make his fourth attempt in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint this fall, having finished eighth, third, and fifth in his previous three tries.

Pure Sensation returned $9 to win, $5.60 to place, and $3.20 to show. Vision Perfect brought back $6 to place and $4 to show, while Rainbow Heir paid $4 to show.