MONMOUTH PARK NOTES: BERNED RUNS AWAY WITH SERENA’S SONG STAKES

By John Heims —-

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Berned overcame a slow start with an impressive middle move and even stronger stretch run to capture the $60,000 Serena’s Song Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, May 12, giving jockey Joe Bravo his third winner on the 12-race card.

The Graham Motion-trainee, who paid $7.60, $4.20 and $2.80 as the second choice in the field of nine, cruised late over the sloppy going to win by 1¾ lengths over A Place to Shine, who returned $6.40 and $4. It was another 3½ lengths back to favored Teresa Z, who paid $2.40 to show. The exacta came back $51.40.

Berned, coming out of consecutive graded stakes, showed off her class and off-track breeding to win for the fourth time in 13 career starts. The 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini is now a perfect 2-for-2 over the Monmouth Park oval after stepping the mile and 70 yards in 1:42 flat on Saturday.

Bravo called the filly “push button.”

“This race makes you expect a really good summer out of her,” said Bravo, who has won a record 13 Monmouth Park riding titles.
last and was still sixth after an opening half in :47.28, with Viva Vegas cutting out the early fractions while being pushed along by Miss Inclusive. Bravo asked his charge to pick it up midway through the final turn and Berned responded with a quick, decisive move. That left her perfectly positioned at the top of the stretch, where Berned got the jump on Teresa Z and then left the field in her sloppy wake.

On a day when Bravo dominated the jockey ranks with his three winners, 12 different trainers won the 12 races.

Live racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, May 13, with a first race post of 12:50 p.m. Gates open at 11:30 am.

MONMOUTH PARK SET FOR MOTHER’S DAY FESTIVITIES;
11-RACE CARD GETS UNDERWAY AT 12:50 P.M.

A competitive 11-race program, the debut of a $425,000 filly trained by Chad Brown and an assortment of promotions for Mother’s Day highlight Monmouth Park’s live racing card for Sunday, May 13.

The Brown-trained Homefieldadvantage, a 3-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, will try to live up to the lofty price she fetched at the September 2016 Keeneland Sales in the fifth race, a Maiden Special Weight event at six furlongs. Joe Bravo, 13-time riding champion at Monmouth Park, has the mount.

Homefieldadvantage is out of the mare Proud Pearl, who was second in the 2012 Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks and is a full sister to 2008 Kentucky Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly Proud Spell.

Act Now, a 3-year-old Street Sense filly, returns after a four-month layoff for trainer Alan Goldberg, headlining a $40,000 Allowance Optional Claimer that goes as the 10th race. The six-furlong das has attracted a field of seven.

Act Now broke her maiden impressively in her debut at 2, but faltered in her only other career start on Jan. 6 at Gulfstream Park in the $75,000 Glitter Woman Stakes.

As a nod to Mother’s Day, all ladies will be admitted free to the track, with the first 1,000 ladies also receiving free carnations. Additionally, there will be a Mother’s Day Champagne Bar outside the Grandstand in the paddock area.

There will also be drawings for a Monmouth Mall shopping spree, Ed Sheeran tickets, jewelry, an Ocean Place spa trip and In the Garden flower shop.

As is the case every Sunday of live racing it will also be Family Fun Day, with free clowns, face painters, a bounce house and pony rides for children 12 and under.

Following the races, Chuck Lambert will provide the musical entertainment at the Beer Garden at Blu Grotto. The William Hill Sports Bar will offer post-race Happy Hour Specials as well.

Post time is 12:50 p.m., with gates opening at 11:30 a.m.

For more information, visit www.monmouthpark.com.