Winning Cause takes Cliff Hanger at Monmouth

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) Winning Cause grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and held off Big Blue Kitten to capture the $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday by a half-length.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Winning Cause covered the 1 1/8 mile race on the turf in 1:46.16. The Eddie Castro-ridden colt returned $11, $4.80 and $2.80.

Odds-on favorite Big Blue Kitten paid $2.40 and $2.10. It was another length back to pacesetter Plainview, who was $2.80 to show.

Castro says he started to make his move around the turn ''and I looked back and saw that I had the jump on Big Blue Kitten and just rode hard to the wire.''