Launched in 2018, the challenge is open to local trainers with 20 or fewer horses nationwide.

The top-eight trainers in the contest shared a prize pool of $80,000, with Kantarmaci earning the first-place prize of $16,000. It was the second time he's won the “Under 20s Claiming Challenge” at a Belmont meet, with the first coming in the 2019 spring/summer edition.

Kantarmaci tallied 85 points, besting second-place finisher Oscar Barrera, III [67.5 points, $14,000] during the 48-day meet that commenced April 22 and concluded July 11. Antonio Arriaga finished third with 47 points [$12,000], while Michael Miceli was fourth with 30 [$11,000.] Rounding out the top-eight were Randi Persaud [28.5 points, $9,000], Amira Chichakly [27.5 points, $7,000], Robert Klesaris [26.5 points, $6,000] and John Toscano [25 points, $5,000.]

“It feels great. We did really well the last couple of weeks,” Kantarmaci. “In the beginning of the meet, we ran a lot of horses maybe too high a level and high claiming prices, so we were having a hard time getting points. But the last week, we had a lot of main-track horses, and that helped to open up the point distances.”

For the 2021 Belmont spring/summer, Kantarmaci sent out 50 starters, compiling a 2-9-9 record with earnings of $299,018. He saddled a pair of winners of $45,000 claiming tilts, with Turn of Events on June 27 and Wicked Indeed on July 9.

“We are on the right track with claiming horses,” Kantarmaci said. “Hopefully, we can continue the success at Saratoga. It's a really good program. In the future, if it keeps going, I think it'll be hard for anyone to win it five times in a row like this. It's nice to see my name at the top.”

To retain eligibility, there can be no more than 20 horses on a trainer's roster at any given time, although a trainer's stable may grow above 20 horses through claiming activity. But only roster horses can earn points. A trainer may replace a claimed horse who was on their roster with another claimed horse. After a horse is claimed, it will be added to the trainer's roster only at the trainer's request.

Horses in for a tag in an allowance optional claiming race will qualify for contest points. Points are not earned in maiden, allowance, starter allowance or stakes races.

A horse that ends up on the stewards' list for poor performance [defeated 25 or more lengths] will not earn the trainer points for that race. Horses that are running for 50 percent or less of the claiming price from their most recent start will only be eligible to earn 50 percent of the typical points for that race.

In addition, horses can only earn contest points for two races within a given 30-day time period. A horse may enter in additional races during that timeframe but will not earn contest points for those additional races.

For more information, please contact the racing office at 718-659-4241.

Contest Point Structure:

Dirt Races – All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag:
1st Place – 6 points
2nd Place – 5 points
3rd Place – 4 points
4th Place – 3 points
5th Place – 2 points

Turf Races- All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag
1st Place – 5 points
2nd Place – 4 points
3rd Place – 3 points
4th Place – 2 points
5th Place – 1 point

Past winners of the Under 20s Claiming Challenge:
2021 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2020-21 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2019-20 Aqueduct winter – Eddie Barker/Mertkan Kantarmaci (tie)
2019 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018-19 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018 Belmont spring/summer – Eddie Barker

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The “Under 20s Claiming Challenge,” launched in 2018, is open to local trainers with 20 or fewer horses nationwide. The current challenge launched on December 10, Opening Day of the 56-day winter meet, and will continue through the end of the 11-day Big A spring meet set to run April 1 to April 18

In the unique contest, trainers earn points based on their horses' performances in winners' claiming races on the main track. Through January 7, the 29-year-old Kantarmaci leads all trainers with 34 points, with Antonio Arriaga and A.C. Avila tied for second with 14 points.

Kantarmaci tied with Eddie Barker for last year's contest during the Big A's winter meet after being the standalone winner of the challenge during the 2018-19 winter meet and the 2019 Belmont Park spring/summer meet.

“Every year we always try to get better horses. We always try to level up,” Kantarmaci said. “We'll watch race replays before we consider claiming a horse so we know what we're looking at. The Under 20s is a great program because it encourages trainers at this level to make sure they're always looking for nice horses.”

The Turkish born conditioner, who has 20 horses in his barn on the Belmont backstretch, boasts a consistent 19-4-2-5 record at the winter meet, finishing on the board at a 58 percent clip.

“These kinds of horses all have their own abilities,” Kantarmaci said. “When they are feeing good and happy, they'll give one hundred percent. The last couple of days our horses have ran their heart out.”

One of the barn's top performers is Krakow Racing's Reed Kan, a 6-year-old Kantharos ridgling who led at every point of call to win for a $40,000 tag on January 15 going six furlongs.

Since being claimed in October 2018, Reed Kan has won five of his 11 starts for the Kantarmaci barn, including three of his last four outings.

“Reed Kan is a good example of that heart,” Kantarmaci said. “He ran [fifth] in March and was ready to go until we had the pandemic and couldn't race. The time off helped him. He came back in June and won at Belmont and then won again in July. I think he'll run even better when he runs back next time.”

Krakow Racing and America's Pastime Racing's Mi Tres Por Ciento gave Kantarmaci his first triumph of the meet for a $62,500 tag in a December 19 optional claiming event going 6 ½ furlongs in his first start for new connections. The Chilean-bred Ocean Terrace chestnut gelding will race back on Monday at the Big A in a six furlong optional claiming event but will not run for a tag this time.

Kantarmaci noted that paying attention to the little details is important when trying to improve his stock.

“He had some problems when I started training him, but it didn't take long to figure out what he needed,” Kantarmaci said of Mi Tres Por Ciento. “The biggest thing with him was his training. He's kind of a nervous horse and a bit aggressive in the mornings, so we changed things up so he wasn't as stressed.

On Saturday, Kantarmaci visited the Big A winner's circle with veteran mare Jump for Joy, who commanded a gate-to-wire victory in a first level allowance event going six furlongs over a muddy and sealed main track. The 8-year-old Jump Start mare, who earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure, has been a model of consistency having finished in the money in eight of her last nine starts since adding blinkers.

“She looks better than two years ago when I first got her,” Kantarmaci said. “We claimed her for $40,000 and she's never given us a bad start. We just needed to find out what she likes and what she doesn't like. Every time we try getting to know her a little bit better she gives us a better effort. We just needed to figure out what training is best suited for her and how to space her races out. It's all about understanding her language.”

Kantarmaci noted her affinity for the wet track, as she boasts a 13-4-5-1 record when contesting over a sloppy going.

“She'll run over any track but she's a little better in the slop,” Kantarmaci said. “I like this mare. She's up there in age and we'll let her tell us where her next start will be. I think she would be competitive in the next condition.”

Kantarmaci has two runners entered for Monday's program. In addition to Mi Tres Por Ciento [Race 6, Benjamin Hernandez, 7-2], he also will saddle Dust Devil [Race 2, Kendrick Carmouche, 2-1], haltered last out for $25,000, in a one-turn claiming mile.

Contest Point Structure:
Dirt Races – All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag:
1st Place – 6 points
2nd Place – 5 points
3rd Place – 4 points
4th Place – 3 points
5th Place – 2 points

Trainer Bonuses:
The top-eight trainers in the contest will share in a prize pool of $80,000:
1st Place – $16,000
2nd Place – $14,000
3rd Place – $12,000
4th Place – $11,000
5th Place – $9,000
6th Place – $7,000
7th Place – $6,000
8th Place – $5,000

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Trained by Antonio Arriaga for owner Silvino Ramirez, the son of Candy Ride ran just 11 days ago, where he bested six others in a seven-furlong allowance at Parx by 7 ½ lengths, garnering a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Breaking from post 5 in the seven-horse field, jockey Jose Ortiz hustled Share the Ride through the first few strides out of the gate and secured his mount a path to the outside as Tribecca dictated terms on the front end through an opening quarter-mile in 23.03 seconds over the fast main track.

Around the far turn, Share the Ride inched his way closer to Tribecca under no urging from Ortiz, who looked over both shoulders as they approached the quarter-pole through a half in 46.14.

Ortiz gave Share the Ride his cue just outside the three-sixteenths pole, but a stubborn Tribecca did not retreat and dug in toward the rail as multiple stakes-winner Stan the Man and five-time winner Absentee made late bids in tandem to the outside.

Share the Ride edged clear of Tribecca just inside the eighth-pole to hit the wire a three-quarter length winner in a final time of 1:10.62.

Late closers Stan the Man and Absentee finished a respective second and third. Tribecca, Drafted, Arch Cat and Majestic Dunhill, who was compromised by an unfavorable beak, rounded out the order of finish.

Share the Ride has been a model of consistency through his 5-year-old campaign, winning 4-of-9 starts, including a triumph in the Mr. Prospector on September 12 at Monmouth Park. He also was third to Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Vosburgh on September 26 at Belmont Park and was a game runner-up to Majestic Dunhill in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler on October 31 at Belmont.

Returning $5.20 as the favorite, while carrying 133 pounds as the co-highweight, Share the Ride upped his lifetime earnings to $369,860 and record to 20-8-3-4.

“Everybody had a little extra weight today, but my horse was very game,” Ortiz said. “It was a great training job. This horse was 100 percent ready. He broke well and sat second and relaxed. I asked him to go passing the three-eighths pole to engage Tribecca. I wanted to be close to him at the quarter-pole because he's hard to beat on the lead and he digs in. I was in good range to win the race and they battled down the lane; two good horses in a match race and then the other horses were coming too, at the end, but he dug in.”

Bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms, Share the Ride is the second progeny out of the multiple stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed Graeme Hall mare Belle of the Hall.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding, bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms, set splits of 22.45 and 44.94 under Ferrin Peterson in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector en route to a 3 3/4-length win in a final time of 1:09.18.

Arriaga said he was surprised to see such fast fractions last out.

“We didn't expect that,” said Arriaga. “He was supposed to go easy to the front, but she sent him all the way and the horse was doing it comfortable.”

Arriaga said he will let the 2020 Belmont Stakes-winning rider dictate the tactics.

“He can come from off the pace too but let's see what Manny has to say. He's been riding really good,” said Arriaga.

Share the Ride was claimed for $16,000 on July 5 out of a winning effort in a Monmouth Park sprint. He followed with a good second in an optional-claiming sprint on August 9 at first asking for new connections ahead of two even efforts on the Monmouth turf when fourth in the 5 1/2-furlong Get Serious on August 23 and fifth in the one-mile Grade 3 Red Bank on September 5.

Arriaga said the addition of blinkers for his last two starts is the only major change in equipment for Share the Ride since the claim.

“We put the blinkers on but other than that it took him a month to start eating well when we first claimed him,” said Arriaga. “Some horses when they get older, they get better. Good horses get better if you take care of them the right way, feed them the right way and spoil them and they're happy.”

After winning the Mr. Prospector on one week's rest, Share the Ride returns to action in the Vosburgh with two weeks between starts.

“He's doing good,” said Arriaga. “He gallops and jogs. With these fast horses, I try not to work them too much because they can blow their race in the workout if they go fast.”

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It took four starts – two on the turf, which the horse had never tried before – but Arriaga's faith was rewarded when Share the Ride dominated the field in a gate-to-wire victory to capture Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., by 3 3/4 lengths, giving jockey Ferrin Peterson the first stakes win of her career.

Ridden aggressively from the outset, Share the Ride broke sharply from the outside in the six-horse field, which included multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control, and cruised through fractions of :22.45 to the opening quarter and :44.94 to the half.

He was never seriously threatened, with even-money favorite Awesome Anywhere chasing to get second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 6-5 shot Mind Control.

The winning time for the six furlongs was 1:09.18, with Share the Ride paying $19.40 to win in notching the first stakes victory of his 16-race career.

“Part of it was being aggressive on my part,” said Peterson, riding the horse for the first time. “He had just run long on the turf and now he was back going short on the dirt, which (agent) Julie Krone has told me it can make them sharp when they do that. (Arriaga) told me I needed to be aggressive leaving the gate because he tends to follow.

“So I gave him a really big warmup, got away from the pony, and he was really sharp. Honestly, though, the trainer and I were both surprised he broke on the lead. But then I was able to get him to relax and he had that the big kick when I asked for it. He was strong today.”

In his first start for Arriaga on Aug. 9 going six furlongs on the dirt in an optional $50,000 claimer, Share the Ride came off the pace to finish second, a length behind Awesome Anywhere. He was then off the board in the first two turf tries of his career, the most recent being a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes one week ago.

“We didn't expect him to go wire to wire like this,” said Arriaga. “I think he needed his last race going longer to open up his lungs. Then we cut him back from a mile to six furlongs for this race. I think that made a difference. He was very sharp today.

“We put him back on the dirt because I think he is better there. But I still believe he can be good on the turf. He's been eating well and he didn't back up on anything and he has been acting good. He was nominated to this race all along, so that's why we decided to bring him back in a week.”

A Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride, Share the Ride notched his sixth career victory. It was the third stakes win of Arriaga's 421-race career, though he said “this is the biggest one so far.”

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