Rattlesnake Bridge, at left, gets up in the Long Branch S., a local prep for the Haskell (G1) photo: Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Rattlesnake Bridge, a 3-year-old son of 2011's leading sire Tapit, willed his way to a nose victory in the $165,000 Long Branch S. July 9 at Monmouth Park (VIDEO). Tapit now has 10 stakes winners and 24 stakes horses on the year, with worldwide progeny earnings of $5.3 million.

In the Long Branch, Rattlesnake Bridge stumbled at the start, and was covered up near the back of the field of eight after five furlongs. Jockey Eddie Castro waited until the three-eighths pole before moving very wide for the stretch drive. They closed furiously on the grandstand side, just getting up over All of the Above.  The final time for the mile and sixteenth over the fast main track was 1:41.71.

“It was a great performance,” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He stumbled a little coming out of the gate, and I actually thought he’d be a little further back with them going :22 3/5 for the first quarter.”

Rattlesnake Bridge's connections will point to the $1 million Travers S. (G1), Aug. 27 at Saratoga, for his next start.

In five career starts, Rattlesnake Bridge is now 2-2-0; he upped his lifetime bankroll to $153,200 for owner Mill House. The gray colt was bred in Kentucky by Bill Graves and Dennis Lynch, and was sold for $450,000 as a juvenile to Steve Young, agent, highest price for a colt at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale. Rattlesnake Bridge is the first runner out of Prall Street, and hails from the same family that produced Grade 1 winner True Knight and Grade 2 winner Rigamajig.