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Matchmaker Handicap next on tap at Monmouth Park
Bravo closing in
on ninth riding title
Sunday’s Matchmaker Handicap appears to be shaping up as one of the top turf contests for fillies and mares all summer long at Monmouth.
With a purse of $100,000 on the line, many trainers have their eye on the mile-and-an-eighth test for their lasses to run over the lawn.
Weights for the 37th renewal of the Matchmaker were released on Sunday with Dress to Thrill listed at top weight at 121 pounds.
Those considered likely for the Grade 3 race are Affirmed Dancer, runner-up in the Gallorette (G3) on Preakness Day last out; Cocktailsanddreams, sixth in the Eatontown (G3); France Soir, a Monmouth allowance winner on July 31; Lady Linda, runner-up in the All Along Breeders’ Cup (G3) at Colonial; Something Ventured, second in the Eatontown; Southern Fiction, fifth in the Eatontown; Twilights Prayer, victor of the Spruce Fir in her latest; and one from the Christophe Clement Stable, who has nominated Dress to Thrill, Love N’ Kiss S., Mariensky, Sixty Seconds and Volga.
"She ran well after a troubled trip last out," said Vicki Oliver, who will send Southern Fiction postward in the Matchmaker. "She really seems to have taken to the turf, and hopefully she’ll get a clear run in the Matchmaker."
Southern Fiction has started three times on turf, winning an allowance at Keeneland and then the Politely Stakes here. Her latest was a fifth-place finish in the Eatontown. Last year she captured the Monmouth Beach Stakes at Monmouth Park on the main track.
The Matchmaker, which moved from the Atlantic City Race Course to Monmouth Park in 1997, has had its share of top competitors including seven champions and two Hall of Fame members: Gamely and Susan’s Girl.
Key Lory retired to Fehsenfeld’s farm in Indiana
A van left the Monmouth stable area Monday taking with it a piece of Monmouth history as Key Lory, who was unbeaten on the turf, rode into the sunset of retirement.
The van carried Key Lory to his new home, owner Mac Fehsenfeld’s farm in Zionsville, Ind., where he will have a private stall and a field all to himself. He will become the personal riding horse of Fehsenfeld’s daughter, Debby.
The 9-year-old Key Lory made his 21st and final start on May 25 when he won the Red Bank Handicap (G3) at Monmouth. That capped a perfect career on the grass during which Key Lory made four starts and won four stakes: the Red Bank and Oceanport at Monmouth, the Sussex at Delaware, and the Da Hoss at Pimlico.
Trainer Dennis Manning was pointing Key Lory for the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap after last year’s Red Bank, but nagging infirmities kept the son of Key to the Mint Halory, by Halo, on the sidelines. Key Lory spent the winter with Manning in Florida and was scheduled to be retired but was doing so well that the trainer decided to bring him back to Monmouth this spring and put him in training. Key Lory was nominated to this year’s Red Bank Handicap but didn’t make it to the entries.
"He was acting like a 3-year-old early in the spring," Manning said, "and Mr. Fehsenfeld decided to give him a chance to run again this year. But the weather was bad, and I wasn’t able to train him like I wanted.
"His arthritic ankle started giving him problems again, and it was evident that he was never going to be as good as he was last year. Mr. Fehsenfeld didn’t want to run him if he couldn’t compete at the same top level. He’s been good to us and we didn’t want to diminish his accomplishments."
Key Lory had a front-running style on the grass and never let a horse pass him in the stretch.
He retires with a career record of 10 wins, two seconds and one third in 21 starts, and earnings of $418,935. He won six of his 11 lifetime races at Monmouth.
Bravo poised for ninth title; Shuman, Gill lead standings
With 57 of the 92 days of racing this summer at Monmouth Park in the books, jockey Joe Bravo appears poised to break his own record of eight riding titles, should he be crowned with his ninth come meet’s end on Sept. 28.
Through Sunday’s racing program, Bravo had 77 wins, 22 more than his nearest competitor, Jose C. Ferrer. What makes this year special for "Jersey Joe" is that it is the first time in three years that he has competed this far into the season.
In 2001, Bravo broke his left leg on July 27, missing the last six weeks of the meet, although he still managed to tie for fourth in the overall standings. In 2002, the rider broke his left wrist on May 30, just eight days into the season.
"I’m just glad to be back to work and off the couch," said Bravo, who last took a Monmouth title in 2000. "Even if I wasn’t leading the standings, I’m just happy to be back at Monmouth and working again."
Rounding out the top five in the jockey’s race for this year are Julian Pimentel with 40 wins, and Jose Velez Jr. and Chuck C. Lopez, each with 33 trips to the winner’s circle.
In the trainer’s race, Mark Shuman continues to show the way with 38 victories, 17 more than last year’s top conditioner, Tim Hills.
In third is Ben Perkins Jr. with 17 wins, three more than the pair of Linda Rice and Allen Iwinski.
The owner’s contest is all Michael Gill, who has 46 wins. In second is E&G Stables with 11 triumphs, one more than Runnin Horse Farms, the leading owner the past four seasons at Monmouth.
Golfer’s Appreciation Day
set for Sunday
This Sunday Monmouth Park salutes the golfers with Golfer’s Appreciation Day.
Bring a tee and grandstand admission is free. Also on tap are golf equipment demonstrations from Taylor Made, STX, Odyssey, Wilson, Cleveland, Tommy Armour, and MacGregor, all sponsored by Golf Away USA.
On Sunday (and every Sunday) it is Family Fun Day at Monmouth with clowns, pony rides, bounces, face painters and more to entertain the kids.
For this Sunday, Cats on a Smooth Surface will be performing live on the green.
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