monmouth park | Horse Racing Free Tips

PDJF Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser Set for Sept. 11 at Monmouth

Seventeen Hall of Fame jockeys–a list that includes former Monmouth Park leading riders Don Brumfield, Julie Krone and Craig Perret–will be on hand when the seventh annual Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser holds its annual event at Monmouth Park on Sept. 11. All of the proceeds from the event go directly to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

In addition to honoring seven riders who suffered catastrophic or career-ending injuries, this year's fundraiser will honor firemen and police officers on the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center towers. Last year's Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser, scheduled for Churchill Downs, was canceled due to COVID-19.

“This year's event will be special for several reasons,” said Barry Pearl, president of Jockeys and Jeans. “This promises to be a year of recovery for our nation, horse racing and its permanently disabled jockeys. Our event will present a unique opportunity to pay homage to racing's fallen heroes as well as our nation's 9/11 heroes. To do both at a single racing-related event is personally humbling and should make all in racing proud.”

Pearl said the organizing committee is working with several New York-based 9/11 organizations to have first responders attend and to be honored.

“We plan to make a donation to an appropriate charity that helps these brave men and women and the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

Scheduled to attend from the Hall of Fame jockey ranks are: Braulio Baeza, Bill Boland, Angel Cordero, Jr., Ramon Dominguez, Earlie Fires, Eddie Maple, Don Pierce, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Jose Santos, Alex Solis, Jorge Velasquez, Jacinto Vasquez, Bobby Ussery and Sandy Hawley.

Also scheduled to attend are jockeys who suffered career-ending injuries, among them Dennis Collins, Joe Hayes, Armando Rivera, Mike Straight, Ann Van Rosen, Sidney Underwood and Roger Blanco.

The event begins in Monmouth Park's Turf Club at 11:30 a.m. Tickets cost $75 and may be purchased at seatgeek.com/monmouth. There will be silent auctions of racing-related memorabilia and autograph sessions throughout the course of the event.

Founded in 2014 by five former jockeys, this year's Jockeys and Jeans event marks the seventh fundraiser held at various tracks across the country. This will be Monmouth Park's first time hosting the event. The all-volunteer association has raised more than $1.6 million to date for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

“While we had to cancel last year's fundraiser, the PDJF payments and the needs by this special group of former jockeys went on,” said Pearl. “We're hoping and praying we can make up some ground and break the $312,000 we raised at Canterbury Park in 2018,” said Pearl.

For more information, contact Pearl at jockeysandjeans@gmail.com or call (717) 503-0182. For additional questions contact Eddie Donnally at Edjockeysandjeans@gmail.com, or by calling (818) 653-3711.

The post PDJF Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser Set for Sept. 11 at Monmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jockeys And Jeans Fundraiser Benefitting PDJF Set For Sept. 11 At Monmouth Park

Seventeen Hall of Fame jockeys – a list that includes former Monmouth Park leading riders Don Brumfield, Julie Krone and Craig Perret – will be on hand when the seventh annual Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser holds its annual event at Monmouth Park on Sept. 11.

All of the proceeds from the event go directly to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

Last year's Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser, scheduled for Churchill Downs, was canceled due to COVID-19.

“Our event will present a unique opportunity to pay homage to racing's fallen heroes as well as our nation's 9/11 heroes. To do both at a single racing-related event is personally humbling and should make all in racing proud.”

Pearl said the organizing committee is working with several New York-based 9/11 organizations to have first responders attend and to be honored.

“We plan to make a donation to an appropriate charity that helps these brave men and women and the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

Brumfield (1977), Krone (1987-89) and Perret (1974) are familiar to Monmouth Park fans for the jockey titles they won at the track during those years. Jorge Velasquez was Monmouth Park's leading rider in 1966 and 1967.

Also scheduled to attend are jockeys who suffered career-ending injuries, among them Dennis Collins, Joe Hayes, Armando Rivera, Mike Straight, Ann Van Rosen, Sidney Underwood and Roger Blanco.

The all-volunteer association has raised more than $1.6 million to date for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

The post Jockeys And Jeans Fundraiser Benefitting PDJF Set For Sept. 11 At Monmouth Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Kent Sweezey Building Momentum Toward Best Overall Year

As he continues to balance divisions at Monmouth Park and Gulfstream, doing so well enough to be in the top 10 of the trainer standings at both tracks, J. Kent Sweezey is quick to point out that it's more than just a one-man operation.

So his success, he insists, is really team success, with the latest being yet another milestone in a season that is well on its way to being the best year of his five-year training career: Epic Bromance's third-place finish (at odds of 61-1) in last Sunday's $500,000 United Nations at Monmouth Park.

It marked the first time the 35-year-old Lexington, Ky. native had hit the board in a Grade 1 race since he went out on his own in 2017. Epic Bromance was beaten just three lengths by race winner Tribhuvan.

“It's great, of course, but when you have a split string like I do and you have success or win races – and if we win at Monmouth and I'm at Gulfstream, or vice-versa – owners in both places understand it's the team,” said Sweezey. “It's not just me out there doing all of the work. It's the rest of the guys doing their jobs so I can manage everything.

“Until you show up and have the results we're having I think there are a lot of questions. I think this year has answered some of those questions. We have a really good team in both places.”

A year after winning just seven times from 59 starters at Monmouth Park, Sweezey is already 7-for-24 at the current meet, including a victory in the Boiling Springs Stakes with Por Que Non.

Those numbers are good enough for 10th in the Monmouth trainer standings (he is ninth in the Gulfstream standings). It's a long way from when he first arrived at Monmouth Park in 2018 with a small string of horses. He now has 70 overall.

“I think it's the best progression I could have hoped for,” Sweezey said. “We started out with only a few horses the first year we were at Monmouth, then came back with a lot more and the year after that is when we filled the barn that we're in right now.

“I think things are going as well as I could have hoped for. I've got some graded stakes horses in the barn, I have horses for new people I have not had before. Our stock has risen because we have better horses but we still have bread-and-butter horses that are winning races for us and keeping this thing going.”

Sweezey, who has 39 winners from 232 starters with earnings in excess of $1.2 million overall this year – he won 59 races worth more than $1.4 million a year ago – is looking to add to his success at Monmouth in the coming weeks.

He will send Grade 3 winner Phat Man into the Grade 3 Iselin Stakes on Aug. 21 and is pointing Epic Dreamer to the Oceanport Stakes on Aug. 8. He may have another starter in the Oceanport as well, having recently purchased millionaire 5-year-old gelding A Thread of Blue at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale for Horses in Training.

A Thread of Blue, a Grade 3 winner, won the Saratoga Derby in 2019.

“He's a new shooter in the barn that we're looking forward to seeing run,” said Sweezey. “I think he has a lot of miles left in him. We might run him in the Oceanport as well.”

Meanwhile, Sweezey will keep juggling his two divisions, hoping the early momentum he has built up continues through the summer. When Monmouth Park resumes racing on Friday he will send out Destinique in the fourth race, a $12,500 claimer.

“You have to keep the ball rolling,” he said.

The post Trainer Kent Sweezey Building Momentum Toward Best Overall Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Joel Rosario Voted Jockey of The Week After Three Graded Stakes Wins

Joel Rosario's trip to Monmouth Park on Saturday resulted in three graded stakes wins earning him Jockey of the Week honors for July 12 through July 18. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Trainer Chad Brown gave a leg up to Rosario on Great Island in the Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on the turf at 1 1/8 miles. Breaking from post position two in the field of six, Great Island settled at the back of the field, moved up on the far turn and finished fast to just catch Kalifornia Queen and prevail by a half-length in 1:48.89.

“She's a nice horse and it makes it easy when you ride that kind of horse,” Rosario said.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Dr Post was ridden by Rosario for the first time in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. Off as second choice in the wagering, Dr Post settled off the pace in the field of six, moved up on the backside and rallied six wide into the stretch to pull away for a 1-1/4-length victory in 1:47.53.

“I never rode this horse before, but Todd said he has been a little more focused with the blinkers,” Rosario said. “I think that was the case in the race.”

Riding again for Todd Pletcher, Rosario had the mount on Graceful Princess in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Off at odds of 14-1 in the field of nine, Graceful Princess came from off the pace and rolled to a three-quarters length victory in 1:47.67.

“It's always nice to ride for Todd, I don't think she has run quite this well before but today she was ready and she won a tough race and proved she was ready for this kind of company,” said Rosario.

With the win, Rosario swept the first three graded stakes on the card.

“I came into today thinking I had some chances but you don't know,” said Rosario. “You have to have the right horses.”

Rosario's weekly stats were: 31-5-4-6 for an in-the-money percentage of 48.3 and total purse earnings of $852,648 to lead all riders.

Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Manny Franco who won the Grade 1 Diana, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two Grade 3 stakes, Luis Saez also with two Grade 3 stakes, and Ruben Silvera who posted nine victories from 22 mounts.

The post Joel Rosario Voted Jockey of The Week After Three Graded Stakes Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post