Divisidero in search of a win in Red Bank

Monmouth Park fires its best shot of the holiday weekend on Sunday when the Grade 3 Red Bank tops a four stakes card that includes the Sapling and Sorority for 2-year-olds and the Safely Kept, a turf sprint for fillies and mares.

The Red Bank, at a mile on turf, has drawn a wide-open field of seven that includes the Kelly Rubley-trained warrior Divisidero; Diamond King, who will be making his turf debut and is trained by John Servis; the improving Say the Word, who races for Graham Motion; and in-form Abiding Star, who is based at Delaware Park with Ned Allard.

Divisidero, 7, hits hard every time he races, but unfortunately has come out on the wrong end of more than his share of tight finishes in recent years. In midstretch of the Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall, he was one of a handful of horses with a chance at the win but ended up fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length.

This year he has been the runner-up in three of his four starts, finishing second by a head to Just Howard in the Grade 3 Oceanport at Monmouth in July, second by a length to Doctor Mounty in the Prince George’s County at Laurel Park in June, and second by a half-length to Inspector Lynley in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes in February.

“Certainly we’d like to win more, but I’m happy with him and happy with the way he’s training,” Rubley said. “I think he’s in top form. We’re looking forward to this weekend.”

Julian Pimentel takes over the reins on Divisidero, which could help shake the old boy up.

Diamond King is an older full brother to West Coast star Bellafina, who has won six Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes. While neither horse has raced on turf, there is grass success in the family. Their dam, Akron Moon, won on turf at Woodbine; a half-brother Have At It won the Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont Park; and Akron Moon’s dam, Akronism, won the Grade 3 Royal North on turf and the Grade 3 Seaway on synthetic at Woodbine.

Diamond King came up short in the stretch of the Grade 3 Philip Iselin as the favorite in June, and a week after the race Servis said the 4-year-old son of Quality Road came out of the effort with a minor issue that may have affected his performance.

Diamond King enters the Red Bank off five works and will likely get a stalking trip behind expected pacesetter Abiding Star, who in his last three races has finished second in the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup at Mountaineer, the Glasgow Stakes at Delaware, and a second-level optional claimer at Belmont.

Say the Word, a deep closer, rallied from seventh to win a second-level optional-claiming race at Belmont in May and then ran well to be third behind Synchrony in the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine in late June.

Solid fields in 2-year-old races

The Sapling and Sorority each has a purse of $100,000 and will be run at a mile, but the Sapling is a dirt race, while the Sorority is on turf and restricted to 2-year-old fillies.

The Sapling field of eight includes a pair of John Servis runners who are coming off notable performances at Laurel Park.

Super John won a one-mile off-the-turf maiden race by 19 1/2 lengths but bore out badly in the stretch to finish close to the outer rail. He will add blinkers in the Sapling.

Mischevious Alex won his debut by a neck at Parx and then finished second in a first-level optional claimer that with any luck he should have won. He broke sharply in the 5 1/2-furlong race, was joined from the outside by two horses early, checked along the rail entering the far turn and dropped back at least five lengths, then came running again to just miss. He may be the better of the Servis duo.

The field also includes Liberate, a son of Gemologist co-owned and co-bred in Ohio by WinStar Farm and Blazing Meadows Farm. The Tim Hamm trainee is 3 for 3 with runaway wins at Thistledown in the Cleveland Kindergarten and a maiden race, and at Belterra Park in the Hoover Stakes.

Further complicating the race is Gulfstream Park shipper Gangly, who is coming off a Florida-bred maiden win for Roderick Rodriguez, and Big City Bob, who defeated a well-intended Street Sense colt owned by Gary and Mary West by a nose in his second start. He is trained by Jorge Duarte Jr. and owned by Colts Neck Stable.

The Sorority has nine entrants, including a pair of Godolphin homebreds trained by Mike Stidham. Crafty Angel came from off the pace to win her first start going a mile on turf at Arlington Park. Micheline, who may have the better chance here, finished third in her debut in a 10-horse maiden field at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles. She was in tight in the run to the first turn and dropped too far back to make a serious impact.

Sky Kitten would be David Donk’s first Monmouth starter since 2014. The New York-bred came from sixth to win her debut going seven furlongs on dirt at Saratoga.

Lovely Brown won first time out going 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Delaware Park for Steve Klesaris. Carol Cedeno will be in for the mount.

◗ All eyes will be on Goldwood in the Safely Kept, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares. Goldwood has won three consecutive Monmouth stakes and is tied with Golden Brown for the most stakes victories at the meet.

Her sternest challenge in the 12-horse field could come from Auldwood Lane, whom she beat by a half-length in the Incredible Revenge Stakes on Aug. 10.