MONMOUTH: WINTER RIDE UP IN TIME TO TAKE SUNDAY’S FEATURE

By John Heims —-

Oceanport, N.J.- Gavin-Ty Racing LLC’s sat off the early pace of Flowers for Lisa and Henry the King before storming home to take Sunday’s $40,000 allowance optional claiming feature by 2 ¼ lengths at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Harold Wyner, Winter Ride covered the mile and seventy yards over the fast main track in 1:43.68 and paid $19.20, $7.40, $4.20. Flowers for Lisa completed the $68.80 exacta and paid $3.60 and $3.20. It was a 2 ¾ lengths back to Henry the King, who paid $3.80 for show.

“He broke a half step slow and I had to send him to get him in gear in the first part,” said winning jockey Frankie Pennington. “He was sitting great the whole time on the back side. Once I got him to the outside, I saw the two horses in front of us start slowing down and he kept going for them so I thought we were good.”

With the win, the 6-year-old gelding by Candy Ride out of the Deputy Minister mare Winter House improves his career record to 8-2-8 in 30 starts.

Earlier in the card, rider Trevor McCarthy was sent to the hospital for further evaluation after being unseated by his mount Skip the Talk in the day’s fourth race. According to Dr. Angelo Chinnici, medical director for the racetrack, “Trevor suffered a dislocated left shoulder and will be sidelined for a few weeks.”

The other rider involved in the spill, Antonio Gallardo, was planning to ride the remainder of the card before changing his mind and opting to go for pre-cautionary x-rays of his neck. He was reported to be fine by the Monmouth medical team. The fourth race was declared a “no contest” by the stewards.
Live racing continues at Monmouth Park on Saturday, May 27 – gates open early at 11am, for the first of three days of the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival which will continue throughout Memorial Day Monday. As always, the racetrack is open seven days a week for simulcasting from across the country and around the globe.