Jockey Ferrer wins six races; trainer Navarro ties own record with five

Jose Ferrer won six races at Monmouth Park on Sunday to take sole possession of the top spot in the jockey standings, and Jorge Navarro padded his lead in the trainer standings with a record-tying five wins.

Ferrer and Paco Lopez came into the day tied with 29 wins. Lopez was shut out on Sunday's 12-race card. Although Ferrer has never won a Monmouth riding title, he has 1,073 career victories at the Jersey Shore track.

The record for wins on a Monmouth Park card is seven. Lopez accomplished the feat twice in 2014.

Ferrer had a chance to tie Lopez's record in the final race of the afternoon on Won and Done, but he finished third in a three-horse photo finish. Sunday was the first six-win card of Ferrer's career.

A winner of 4,276 career races, Ferrer won races 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10. His victories came aboard Gambler's Ghost ($3, Navarro), Stormy Change ($6, Greg Sacco), Nauset Beach ($3.20, Navarro), Rhythm Park ($3.80, Navarro), Sindarius ($5.80, Keith Nations), and Racinginthestreet ($10.40, Kate DeMasi).

Ferrer was injured on Racinginthestreet two weeks ago when she broke through the gate before the start and threw Ferrer over her head. He landed on his back and went to the hospital for X-rays, but tests came back clean.

Ferrer, 54, is represented by agent Steve Worsley. They won five races together on New Jersey-bred Day at Monmouth Park two years ago, according to Worsley. Ferrer said he also had won five races on a program at the Meadowlands and at Garden State Park.

"I'm super fit right now. I work out almost every day at the gym," said Ferrer. "And I'm riding with confidence. It helps to have the experience I have. It helps a lot out there."

It is especially nice to see Ferrer doing well since he overcame a bad spill at Delaware Park last September in which he suffered major internal injuries.

Navarro, who has a sizeable lead in the trainer standings, tied his own record for the most winners in a day at Monmouth on Sunday. In addition to the winners Ferrer rode, Navarro won race 4 with Polished Steel ($2.80) and race 9 with Great Rhythm. Manny Jimenez was aboard both horses.

Navarro has won the last five Monmouth training titles.

"What I do is I enter my horses where they belong, and I'm fortunate to have great owners who believe in me and allow me to put the horses where I think they belong," Navarro said.