Bright Future (Curlin - Sophia's Song, by Bellamy Road), owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC, made a triumphant return to racing with a victory in the GIII Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Coming off a seven-month layoff, the 5-year-old horse navigated a challenging trip to secure the win.
In a race featuring two Grade I winners and two 'TDN Rising Stars,' Bright Future broke well but found himself locked in a joint-third position on the inside, behind leaders Coastal Mission (Great Notion) and Oscar Eclipse (Oscar Performance), with fractions of :24.05 and :48.16. Initially shuffled back to sixth on the far turn, Bright Future seized an opening at the top of the stretch. Accelerating sharply, he overtook Coastal Mission and last-out Parx allowance victor Movisitor (Uncle Mo) to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
“That was a big performance,” said Anthony Sciametta, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “We're very pleased. The horse was training well at Belmont, so I'm really not surprised. They obviously liked him. When he started falling back a little bit we got a little worried, but then he came running again. It's a big win for him. He is coming off the bench and it's really good for him going forward.”
Bright Future had last raced in November, finishing sixth behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. This followed his GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes victory in September at Saratoga. His prior performances included a series of impressive races at Saratoga, earning triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. His recent sharp works, including a :47 3/5 move over four furlongs (3/172) on Belmont's training track on June 8, indicated he was ready for a strong comeback.