jersey derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sifting Sands, from the powerhouse Chad Brown stable, is among eight 3-year-olds (plus one main track only entrant) set to go in the $100,000 Jersey Derby that will serve as the feature race for opening day of Monmouth Park's 76th Thoroughbred season on Friday.

A total of 44 horses (plus one MTO) have been entered for the six-race twilight card, with a first race post time of 5 p.m.

With the New Jersey commission's enactment of the strictest whip rules in the country, allowing use of the crop only when needed for safety, Monmouth has been in the news for it's strict stance on jockey participation in the 2021 meet.

There are 14 jockeys named to ride on Friday's card, including: Jorge Panaijo, Luis M. Ocasio, Tomas B. Mejia, Luis R. Reyes, Christian J. Navarro, Jose C. Ferrer, Carlos J. Hernandez, Jomar Torres, Isaac Castillo, Jose Baez, Carlos Montalvo, Keiber J. Coa, Sean Gilpin, and Derbe Glass.

Three of the stakes entrants, including the MTO entry, do not currently have riders listed on Equibase.

The Jersey Derby, scheduled for a mile on the grass, will be contested for the 78th time. It's the oldest Derby in the United States, having first been run in 1864.

Trainers Kelly Breen (It's A Gamble), Gregg Sacco (It Can Be Done) and Jerry Hollendorfer (Riptide Rock) will look to get off to fast starts for the 53-day meet in the Jersey Derby as well.

Owned by Peter Brant, Sifting Sands will be making just his fourth career start in the Jersey Derby. The Irish-bred son of Dubawi made his last start in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct on April 21.

Monmouth Park will conduct live racing four straight days over the Memorial Day weekend. Post times on Saturdays, Sundays and special Monday holiday cards throughout the meet is 12:15 p.m.

The $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at six furlongs headlines the Saturday card, with the $75,000 Politely Stakes serving as the Sunday feature. The Memorial Day card on Monday will be top by the $75,000 Spruce Fir for Jersey-breds.

The post Monmouth: 44 Horses, 14 Jockeys Enter Six Races For Friday’s Opening Day Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Michael Pino was pretty sure he had a stakes-caliber grass horse in Vanzzy. Now he's certain of it.

Sitting an ideal trip behind dueling leaders, Vanzzy shot through an opening along the rail coming out of the final turn and powered his way to a 3½-length victory in Sunday's $100,000 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

After a fourth-place finish and then a third in graded stakes races this year in his first two grass tries, the 3-year-old son of Verrazano–Selva by Forest Wildcat had his turf breakthrough in the 77^th edition of the Jersey Derby.

Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park's runaway riding leader, rode the winner, who paid $7.20 in the field of seven. Time for the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course listed as firm was 1:42.30.

“A perfect trip. A great ride by Paco (Lopez),” said Pino. “This horse needs that kind of trip. He's a little antsy early. I was real happy with the ride, real happy with the trip and he punched away like he's getting better. This was his best race yet.

“You can see he is getting better with each race, especially when we can get him to settle like we did.”

Lopez, who said he had the option of taking the lead or settling in with the versatile Vanzzy opted for the latter. He was on the rail, alternating between third and fourth as longshots Island Commish and Bye Bye Melvin dueled through a half in :49.41 and reached the mile together in 1:36.46.

With three horses fanned across the track coming out of the final turn, Lopez found an opening along the rail and Vanzzy exploded through it. Bye Bye Melvin held for second, three-quarters of a length behind the late-running Iris Mias.

“I think you can say that was a perfect trip for this horse,” Lopez said. “Mike left it up to me, but he said this horse can be on the lead if you need him to be. The turf course isn't really fast. It's a little soft. I was just so comfortable with him being on the rail and following horses. I just had to wait for the chance to move.

“You have to make a split-second decision coming out of the turn. Sometimes the rail is open, sometimes it's not. This time it was open for me so I took it. He really responded when he got through and was able to run.”

Owned by Daniel M. Ryan, Vanzzy posted his fourth victory in nine career starts, boosting his lifetime earnings to $232,726.

Pino said the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs was the next possible destination for Vanzzy.

“We'll play it by ear,” Pino said. “He has become a real solid horse.”

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park with a six-race twilight card on Friday night. First race post time is 5 p.m.

The post Vanzzy Rises To The Occasion In Jersey Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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