Iselin right time to be Ridin With Biden

Highly Motivated and Forza Di Oro are the most recognizable horses in the Grade 3, $250,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park. Ridin With Biden might the horse to bet.

Ridin With Biden has been improving with every start during a five-race 2022 campaign. He comes into the 1 1/16-mile Iselin off a career-best performance July 30 at Laurel Park and just might repeat the peak and win the Iselin at fair odds.

The Iselin, (race 9, post time 3:54 p.m. Eastern), drew six entrants. Highly Motivated, who won the July 23 Monmouth Cup in his last start, and Forza Di Oro, unraced since October, could wind up the favorites.

Forza Di Oro debuts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after campaigning for Bill Mott his first three seasons. Forza Di Oro’s lone stakes win came in the Grade 3 Discovery in November 2020. He was third as the 11-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last Sept. 4, then fifth Oct. 3 in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, and Forza Di Oro has not raced since.

Forza Di Oro, who has the rail and Paco Lopez, posted his first 2022 workout July 1 and has since breezed every six to eight days. Hollendorfer’s last winner with a horse coming back in stakes competition following a layoff from 180 to 365 days was Unique Bella in October 2017.

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Highly Motivated beat his stablemate Pipeline by 1 3/4 lengths four weeks ago in the Monmouth Cup, part of a huge day for trainer Chad Brown. Highly Motivated’s top Beyer Speed Figure is 97, and at 124 pounds he concedes as much as six pounds under the Iselin’s conditions.

Promise Keeper’s third-place finish in Olympiad’s New Orleans Classic win stamps him a win player. He hasn’t raced since a Churchill Downs allowance flop May 13, but trainer Todd Pletcher could have awaited a third-level allowance if he didn’t think Promise Keeper was up for the Iselin.

Last July, Ridin With Biden showed his ability with a second behind First Captain in the Grade 3 Dwyer, but his form fell apart the rest of 2021. Ridin With Biden’s connections gelded him over the winter and trainer Butch Reid eased him back into route racing after two sprints.

“Two turns was our plan all along. We were just trying to re-educate him with his new mind frame. We were really excited going back to routes,” said Reid.

After a second-place finish in the Battery Park, run in Delaware Park slop, Ridin With Biden controlled the pace and won the July 30 Deputed Testamony by 6 1/4 lengths. If Promise Keeper or Sagamore Mischief want to lead, Ridin With Biden can sit just off the pace; if not, he’s happy leading.

“We mulled waiting another week with him, but there’s a lot to like about this race,” said Reid.

There’s a lot to like about Reid’s horse, too.