‘It’s Good To Be Back’: Luis Figueroa Rides First Winner Since 2017 At Gulfstream Park

Comebacking Luis Figueroa returned to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle for the first time in more than five years Thursday. The 26-year-old jockey, who quit riding in 2017, scored in his sixth mount back in Race 2 aboard Carlos Perez-trained Starship Mallomar ($7.20).

“It's good to be back,” Figueroa said. “It feels great. I'm working for Carlos Perez – they're great people – and they'll give me a shot once in a while.”

Figueroa, who began riding in 2014, is the older brother of Heriberto Figueroa, who is currently riding in New Jersey and New York.

Later on Thursday's program, jockey Marcos Meneses won on Pretty Rachel ($2.60) for the sixth consecutive race in Race 7. Armando De La Cerda-trained Pretty Rachel, who has won for three different trainers during her six-race streak, won by eight lengths while dropping from a 6 ¾-length victory in a $12,500 claiming company into a $6250 claiming race. The 3-year-old daughter of Dominus was claimed out of her victory by trainer Kent Sweezey.

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Raased Gives Escobar First American Stakes Win In Oceanport Stakes At Monmouth

Trainer Alison Escobar has waited three years for his first stakes win in the United States, but the trainer didn't have to sweat it out when it finally happened.

Raased, the overwhelming favorite in a reduced field when the race was taken off the turf, glided across the slop at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Sunday to capture the $100,000 Oceanport Stakes by 19¼ lengths.

For Escobar, who has won 11 graded stakes races in Puerto Rico, the victory in the 74th edition of the Oceanport Stakes was his first since he started training in the United States in 2019.

“It feels very good,” he said. “I have won many stakes races in Puerto Rico, but to get the first one here feels great.”

Ridden by Heriberto Figueroa, Raased tracked Island Commish through early fractions of :23.56 for the opening quarter and :47.39 to the half. The 5-year-old son of Tapit then took off, leaving his three rivals in the lurch. The winning time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:44.43.

Raased, who won his only other slop start at Monmouth Park by 10½ lengths against allowance company on May 30, returned $2.40 to win. Crown and Sugar was second, 6¼ lengths in front of Island Commish.

“I had 100 percent confidence in this horse whether it stayed on the turf or was in the slop and off the grass,” said Figueroa. “But when they changed to the dirt and it was sloppy, I knew I had a really big chance, especially in a four-horse field. He loves the slop. So I was happy when they changed it.

“I was just waiting behind Island Commish. (Raased) started running by himself. He just took off. You could tell he loved the slop by the way he was running.”

The victory also marked Figueroa's first stakes win at Monmouth Park since he moved his tack here from California.

Raased, owned by Candido Esquivel, has three wins and a second from his five career starts, with his only off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes on the turf at Belmont Park in his previous start.

“I felt very excited when the race came off the turf,” said Escobar, who has 760 career victories. “He has won on the turf. He broke his maiden on the turf. But he really likes the slop. He's a good horse. He runs on any surface. He has shown us that. The horse is good quality.”

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Earlier on the card, jockey Isaac Castillo escaped with only a sprained right knee when his mount, Chublicious, broke down during the 10th race, according to Dr. Angelo Chinnici, the track's medical director. Castillo, third in the Monmouth Park jockey standings with 33 wins, was treated and released and said he expects to resume riding this week.

In addition, jockey Gerardo Corrales, injured in Saturday's Tyro Stakes when his horse, Vodka N Water, clipped heels with a rival, is scheduled for a follow-up exam on his sprained right shoulder on Wednesday and said he expects to resume riding sometime next week if he is cleared to do so by doctors.

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Figueroa and Mejia On the Mend

Jockey Heriberto Figueroa, injured in a spill at Monmouth Park last Sunday, will resume riding at the track during Friday's card. Tomas Mejia, who was involved in the same spill, is likely to be out at least one more week while he recovers, according to the agents for both riders.

“He's doing fine and ready to ride again,” said John Salamone, Figueroa's agent. “He's 100%.”

Mejia's return will likely be delayed another week, according to agent Robert Tuccille.

“He is feeling a lot better, but we're going to take the safe approach and not rush back so he will not ride this weekend,” said Tuccille. “He's just sore, so we'll give it another week. The plan is for him to resume riding next weekend.”

Both riders were transported by ambulance to Monmouth Medical Center following the spill in Sunday's fifth race. Both were released later that night.

The incident occurred when Mejia's mount, Service With Honor, appeared to clip heels with a tiring One More Nightcap coming out of final turn of the mile and a sixteenth starter allowance on the grass, with Mejia slamming into the turf. Figueroa, aboard Rose for a Saint, went down trying to avoid Service With Honor.

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Update: Jockeys Mejia, Figueroa Escape Serious Injury In Monmouth Spill

Jockeys Tomas Mejia and Heriberto Figueroa did not suffer any serious injuries in Sunday's fifth-race accident at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and both riders were released that night from a local hospital after being evaluated.

One of the two horses involved, Rose for a Saint, sustained only minor scrapes after falling onto the turf, while the other, Service With Honor, sustained a knee injury that will likely end his racing career. 

Mejia was between horses aboard Service With Honor rounding the far turn of the 1 1/16 mile grass contest when horse and rider suddenly went down after clipping heels. Figueroa and Rose for a Saint were unable to avoid Service With Honor and also fell.

Robert Tuccille, agent for Mejia, said the 25-year-old is “very sore” but no fractures or internal injuries were found in a series of CT scans and X-rays. “It looked like maybe a horse nicked him after he went down,” Tuccille said. “He was in and out of consciousness and heavily medicated.” 

Tuccille said Mejia will need medical clearance but anticipates that he could be back riding within a week.

John Salamone, agent for Figueroa, said the rider is taking an anti-inflammatory for some body soreness but did not suffer a concussion, fractures or internal injuries. Figueroa took off his mounts at Colonial Downs on Monday but will ride at Monmouth on Friday, Salamone said.

Salamone said he visited Rose for a Saint at trainer Skip Einhorn's barn and the horse had only minor scrapes. Tuccille said trainer Michael Dini was at the hospital Sunday night to check on the condition of Mejia and said Service With Honor will likely be retired from racing because of an injury to his knee but will be able to go on to a second career.

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