 |
News & Notes - Finish Wire MONMOUTH PARK 2000 |
News and Notes
Race Week: June 21 - June 25, 2000
Bravo Joe!
The more things change the more they stay the same. Even though jockey Joe Bravo missed the first few days of the Monmouth Park meeting he has resumed his dominance at the shore by quickly climbing his way to the top of the jockey standings. Through the end of racing on June 25, 2000, Jersey Joe sits atop the jockey standings with 29 wins, winning at a 31% clip with 73% of his horses finishing in the money. The past week alone Bravo had 10 wins including back-to-back wins in Saturday's (6/24) co-features, The $45,000 Ocean Hotel Stakes and the Grade III $100,000 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes. On Sunday (6/25) he brought home four winners on the racing card.
Mighty Fast
Just when you thought they could not go any faster the gates opened and Disco Rico burned six furlongs in 1:09:0 winning The Jersey Shore Breeders Cup Stakes. While the final time was impressive it was the 21:1 quarter and 43:2 half-mile times that opened the eyes of the fans on Saturday confirming that the front running speed bias is alive and well.
Setting Records
Friday's (6/23) ninth race, a five-furlong allowance on the turf, was won by Richard Malouf's Special Occasion. Special Occasion, ridden by Joe Bravo, zipped the five-furlong distance in a time of 55:4 over a firm turf setting a new track record for the Lennox Turf Course. Special Occasions time breaks the old record of 56:0, by Klassy Briefcase, set back on June 20, 1990.
Not So Good
After breaking his maiden at first asking, two-year-old colt Songandaprayer has been taken out of training. The Asbury Park Press reports that the horse was put on the sidelines due to the discovery of bone chips in both hind ankles. Owner Bobby Hurley told the Press that the colt would get three weeks of stall rest and then the connections would re-evaluate the colt's progress and discuss future plans.
Miscellaneous
· The Serena's Song Stakes scheduled for Saturday (6/24) at a mile and seventy yards on the main track was cancelled because the race did not fill.
· Janice Blake guided Slipstich and Aerandir to victory in the first two races on Wednesday's (6/21) card winning both ends of the early daily double. However, her mount in the third race, Ginny's Place, was disqualified and placed second due to the Stewards determination of careless riding on Blake's part. Blake was given a seven-day suspension for the infraction, which she will be appealing.
Attention Race Fans
This Message was posted in the Barn Notes of Monmouth Park.com on 6/23/00 and may be of interest to those of you who may wager at the track:
DAILY TRIPLE (RACING PICK 3) WAGERING RULES CHANGED
The rules for wagering on the Daily Triple (Racing Pick 3) have been amended. The wager involves picking the winners of three consecutive races. In the past, if a horse was scratched in one of the Pick 3 legs, the bettor was given the post-time wagering favorite. Under the new rules adopted by the New Jersey Racing Commission, however, there will be consolation payoffs computed in event of late scratches.
If any horse is scratched in the first leg of the Pick 3, all bets containing the scratch will be refunded. If any horse is scratched in the second leg, the third leg, or both the second and third legs, consolation payoffs will be computed combining the winner of the first leg with the scratched horses.
News and Notes
Race Week: June 28 - July 4, 2000
The Jersey Shore was blessed with good weather and good racing for the holiday weekend. Here is some interesting news and notes from the past week:
Fusaichi To Skip Haskell
It has been confirmed that trainer Neil Drysdale will not be shipping 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegusus to Monmouth Park for this years Haskell Inivitational. The colt has been out of training since suffering a hoof problem on June 3, but should be back in training shortly pointing for the Breeders' Cup classic later this year. The buzz is that the BC Classic will most likely be the last race of the colts career. It has been reported by various sources that Coolmore Stud has purchased the colt for a price in the $60 million range.
Dean Butler
Jockey Dean Butler suffered head injuries including a broken nose when his mount, Gesche, in the sixth race on Wednesday's card clipped heals with another horse that had stopped short in front of him throwing the jockey to the track. Butler was admitted to Monmouth Medical Center for treatment and was released later this past week and is home recouperating from the injuries sustained. On behalf of the staff at Oceanport Racing Report.com we wish Dean a speedy recovery. Get back in the saddle soon.
Lendell Ray
After an impressive victory in The Grade III Jersey Derby at MP on May 28, Lendell Ray returned to the Monmouth weeds on Monday to score a victory in the $75,000 Lamplighter Handicap. Jockey Aaron Gryder was aboard for the riding double. Congratulations.
ATTENTION THERE IS AN OFFICER ON TRACK
Cudos to Colonel Bart and his connenctions. The seven year old gelding owned and trained by Edwin T. Broome and ridden by Joe Bravo won his fourth straight race at Monmouth Park by winning Tuesdays fifth race, a claiming race for three year olds and up at one and one-eighth miles on the turf. Colonel Bart has four wins and a second place finish in his last six starts.
Miscellaneous
· Down The Aisle won the Grade I United Nations Handicap on Saturday for his first Grade I stakes win. Congratulations.
· In finishing second in The Shrewsbury Stakes on Sunday's card My Jeff's Mombo has now finished second in five consecutive races. Very consistent.
One-to-five favorite Chilukki was just super impressive in her win in The Regret Stakes on Tuesday and it looks as if she will be a major contender for sprint honors at the end of the year.News and Notes
Race Week: July 6 - July 9, 2000
WHAT A COMBINATION
Buffalo Berry's win in The Reeve Schley Stakes on Saturday's card gave William Mott and Aaron Gryder their third stakes win on the turf at the Monmouth Park meeting. Mott and Gryder were victorious with Lendell Ray winning both The Jersey Derby and the Lamplighter Handicap. The Asbury Park Press reports that Lendell Ray will continue his campaign in Saratoga in a few weeks. In total Mott has won four stakes at the Monmouth meeting:
· Lendell Ray winner: The Jersey Derby & The Lamplighter Handicap
· Down The Aisle winner: The United Nations Handicap
· Buffalo Berry winner: The Reeve Schley Stakes
Dwyer a Good Prep for Haskell Contenders
Albert The Great won the Grade III Dwyer Stakes on Sunday at Belmont Park. The four horse field included three year old triple crown stars More Than Ready, Preakness winner Red Bullet and Belmont Stakes winner Commendable. The four horse field did not make for perfect racing scenarios and most came out of the race with excuses as Albert The Great wired the field extending his win streak to four consecutive races and entering his name into the quality group of three year olds for the fall campaign. The three triple crown veterans had time off between this start and the triple crown races and may not have been at their best. However, with all horses now having a race under their belts they are all now forwardly pointing to the August 4 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Record Setter
John Tammaro used the dirt-to-turf angle bringing General Express to the post in Saturday's Decathlon Stakes at five furlongs on the Monmouth weeds and General Express did not disappoint. Coming from off the pace General Express stopped the teletimer in 54:3 setting new stakes, track and world records in the process. One had a feeling something big was going to happen when track announcer Larry Collmus declared after a quarter in 20:4, "Wow that's quick". General Express lugged in mid stretch hindering the record time, which could have been faster if the horse had run a straight line through the stretch. Nevertheless this was an impressive performance to say the least. Congratulations to the connections of General Express.
|
Monmouth Park - Oceanport, NJ 6/15/00
|
 |
In the most highly anticipated race to date of the young Monmouth Park meet, today's $26,000 Maiden Special Weight fifth race listed for two-year-olds at five furlongs on the main track, unveiled the debut of Songandaprayer. The promising two-year-old son of 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Unbridled's Song, owned by Bobby Hurley and DJ Stable, was a $1 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale held three months ago at Calder Race Course.
The crowd sent Songandaprayer off as the race favorite at 1-5 and watched as the young colt broke like a professional from the starting gate, establishing an early three length lead heading into the turn. With an impressive turn of foot the first time starter opened up a five length lead entering the stretch as the Monmouth crowd waited for their favorite to put the field away. However, in deep stretch Songandaprayer slowed after establishing the swift early fractions of 21:3 and 44:2, allowing Starbury the opportunity to try and win the race. Starbury came with a strong rally late but ultimately ran out of room as Songandaprayer held on to win by a half-length at the wire. Winning jockey Joe Bravo admitted later that the early fractions were too quick and that next time out the winner would be a better horse. Bravo's challenge with the young horse will be to get him to rate in order to be competative at a distance of ground.
The connections of the winner were pleased with the effort and happy that the colt won at first asking. They will now search for the next spot to run and are contemplating among other races the $100,000 Tremont Stakes at Belmont on July 3.
In Related News:
Joe Bravo had an exceptional day winning four races on the card and continues to ride brilliantly since returning from California a few days into the Monmouth Park meeting. Bravo has won 14 races since returning and has a win percentage of 30%, putting him once again at the top of the jockey standings at the meet. Don't forget that this weekend continues the great stakes action at the shore oval as The Bet Twice and The Captive Miss Stakes will take place on Saturday and The Klassy Briefcase Stakes and The Malouf Auto Group Starter Series #1 will be run on Sunday. Postime for the first race is 1:10 p.m.
____________________________________________
CREATED AND MAINTAINED BY TOWNSEND RACING ENTERPRISES
©2000-2001 Oceanport Racing Report.com. All rights reserved.
Member NTRA