Meadowlands: Farro, Pino each have two for Monday turf sprint

Trainers Patricia Farro and Mike Pino each have two horses with good credentials entered in Monday’s turf feature at the Meadowlands, a second-level optional $25,000 claimer at five furlongs.

Bettors don’t have to worry about choosing between Farro’s pair because Bold Thunder and Wire Funds are coupled. But they must decide whether they prefer Pino’s last-out winner, Sky Above, or his first-time turf runner, The Absolute One.

Among the 11 sprinters in race 4 on a six-race, all-turf card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Eastern, Wire Funds stands out following daylight wins in his two most recent races. He will run for the optional $25,000 tag after dominating 11 opponents when he was claimed for $22,000 at Monmouth Park three weeks ago.

Paco Lopez, who won with 11 of his first 25 mounts at the 10-day Meadowlands meet, which concludes with programs Friday and Saturday, will seek to improve to 3 for 3 aboard the 5-year-old Wire Funds.

Bold Thunder shortens slightly in distance after fading in deep stretch at this level going 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel Park. Two starts ago, the 3-year-old Bold Thunder cleared his first allowance condition while racing five furlongs at Delaware Park.

Pino’s uncoupled entry of Sky Above and The Absolute One both will be racing for a claiming tag for the first time. The 4-year-old Sky Above sprung a 7-1 upset when he returned from almost seven weeks on the sidelines to win a five-furlong allowance at Delaware last month. That win looks even better now that third-place finisher El Seventyseven came back to win a second-level allowance at Parx with an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Sky Above also brings along Kendrick Carmouche, the leading rider at Parx.

The Absolute One will be a better price than his stablemate after finishing off the board in his last two starts. Last time out, The Absolute One was scheduled to make his turf debut, but the race was shifted to a sloppy main track, and he got used up in a speed duel. He gets a rider shift from Carmouche to the promising young apprentice Trevor McCarthy, who has been hot lately, winning 14 of 66 races (21 percent) over the past three weeks.

In addition, Pino shows a 4-for-16 record (25 percent) with a high $4.61 return on investment with horses making their turf debut in a sprint while returning in fewer than 30 days.