Monmouth: Nefertini collects first stakes win in Monmouth Beach

OCEANPORT, N.J.- Nefertini outgamed Successful Song in the lane to win the $75,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes for fillies and mares on Sunday at Monmouth Park.

The five-horse field raced as a compact group until the stretch, where the top two engaged in a spirited duel to the wire, with Nefertini prevailing by a half-length.

Successful Song was game on the rail, having saved ground after a rapid recovery from a stumble at the break. She hung in, but could not hold off Nefertini.

Carlos Marquez Jr. rallied the 4-year-old Nefertini to her fourth win in seven starts. She has moved forward in each race this season, starting with a pair of allowance wins before running second in an overnight stakes at Belmont Park.

Now she is a stakes winner.

“She’s got a little class,” said trainer Alan Goldberg. “She had some physical issues last year and we put her away and she’s come back pretty good.”

Looking down the road, Goldberg contemplates stepping up Nefertini another level before thinking about the Delaware Handicap.

Nefertini paid $4.40 to win as the slight second choice to fourth-place finisher Savvy Supreme.

Cascabella got third; Awe Hush was the trailer.

The time was 1:43.06 for the one mile, 70 yards.

* Dancing Solo waltzed past the field, rallying widest of all on the turf course to earn her first stakes victory in the $65,040 Little Silver for 3-year-old fillies.

Joe Bravo was aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher as Dancing Solo made a smooth transition from synthetic surfaces in Kentucky back to grass for her second win in nine starts.

Dancing Solo paid $8.80 to win as she beat Glamour N Glory by 1 1/2 lengths with Senator Beck third.

The time was 1:34.66 for the one mile on the firm course.

* Sunday's crowd of 23,020 was the largest of the season thus far, for the racetrack’s first-ever Food Truck Wars.