In a stunning display of talent, Montador, whose name translates to "assembler" in Portuguese, captured his first stakes victory at the Fair Grounds, clinching the $98,000 Woodchopper Stakes. This race was notable not just for its significant purse but also for being one of two stakes events held on December 27, both stretching 1 1/16 miles on turf. The other was the $99,000 Pago Hop Stakes, which saw Hear the Queen emerge victorious among the three-year-old fillies.
Montador was expertly ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., who kept him strategically positioned in third place for the majority of the Woodchopper. As Coco Cool and Joejoe Go set the pace with fractions of :23, :47.58, and 1:12, Montador made his move, angling out three-wide for the final stretch. With powerful strides, he surged ahead of six other competitors, crossing the finish line 4 1/4 lengths ahead of the pack. He completed the race in a swift time of 1:41.31 on a firm turf course, finishing the last sixteenth mile in an impressive :05.96.
"I felt like a mere passenger today," Hernandez remarked after the race. "This performance is all thanks to Mike and his team. They prepared Montador exceptionally well, and my job was just to give him the smoothest trip possible. He took care of the rest."
The second-place finisher was Juris Doctor, marking a remarkable 1-2 finish for trainer Mike Stidham, who expressed his delight from the winner's circle, affectionately wrapping his arm around his sister Cindy as they celebrated the exacta.
Faber managed to rally late to secure third place, while Savion, Joejoe Go, the slow-starting Flying Mohawk, and Coco Cool rounded out the field.
Following this victory, Montador's record now stands at 3 wins and 2 seconds from 7 starts, elevating his career earnings to $279,309. Earlier this year, he had impressively won maiden and allowance races in Kentucky and had previously competed in stakes company, finishing a close fifth in the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs on November 22. As the favorite in the Woodchopper, he returned $4.20 for every $2 wagered on him.
"He’s undeniably talented," Stidham commented. "He faced some challenges at Churchill last time, so it was great to see him redeem himself today."
Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Montador comes from a strong lineage, being one of two successful offspring of his dam, Lady Montdore, a Medaglia d'Oro mare who herself triumphed in the 2018 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course. His sire, Nyquist, ranks as the 10th leading sire in North America by progeny earnings and will stand in Kentucky at Darley, Godolphin's stallion division, with a fee set at $175,000 for 2026.
In the Pago Hop Stakes, Hear the Queen also celebrated her first stakes victory, overcoming a challenging start. Jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. skillfully navigated her through the race, keeping her in a good position while tracking the pace in third. As they approached the stretch, he moved her into clear running, and she pulled away to win by a length.
Hear the Queen is a bay filly sired by Audible, a stallion from WinStar Farm, and is out of Behold The Queen, a dual stakes-producing mare from Animal Kingdom. She completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.31 and returned $7.40 for a $2 win bet. Bred by Michael Pietrangelo and William Harrigan’s Miacomet Farm, she is trained by Brad Cox, boasting a record of 4 wins, 1 second, and 1 third from 9 starts, accumulating earnings of $225,831. Her recent success followed a previous allowance win at Churchill Downs last month.
Cheetah Lady finished in second place, while Sea To Sky took third.
