Monmouth Park: Immortal Eyes, Ribo Bobo put streaks on line in Icecapade Stakes

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Immortal Eyes and Ribo Bobo, a pair of veteran geldings riding impressive winning streaks, square off Monday in the $75,000 Icecapade Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 11-race holiday card starts at 12:50 p.m. Eastern and concludes the core portion of the Monmouth season. Racing continues on the Jersey Shore with a two day schedule – Saturdays and Sundays – through Oct. 6.

The six-furlong Icecapade, the final open stakes of the year in New Jersey, drew seven runners, with Immortal Eyes breaking from the rail.

An 8-year-old trained in Maryland by Damon Dilodovico, Immortal Eyes has already compiled 16 wins and $865,051 in career earnings, and he refuses to concede anything to the sands of time. Immortal Eyes is a perfect 3 for 3 at Monmouth this summer, with Beyer Speed Figures ranging from 95 to 99 in the trio of pacesetting victories.

Following a third-level allowance victory, Immortal Eyes was the decisive 7 1/4 length winner of the Mr. Prospector Stakes in early July. He returned later that month on Haskell Day to hold off Javerre by a neck in the Teddy Drone.

Immortal Eyes’s other stakes wins include three consecutive editions of the Charles Town Invitational Dash Handicap starting in 2010.

Paco Lopez, Monmouth’s leading rider, has the return call.

Immortal Eyes could have early competition from Ribo Bobo, who is looking to extend his winning streak to seven.

Granted, the competition hasn’t been as steep as what Immortal Eyes routinely faces, but six straight wins at any level is a notable accomplishment.

The streak started at Gulfstream in an $8,000 claimer, at which point trainer Jason Servis took the 5-year-old for the first time. Servis ran Ribo Bobo back for $6,250. He won by six lengths and was claimed away.

Entered again for $6,250 by the new connections, Ribo Bobo was once again an easy winner and was reclaimed by Servis.

He hasn’t exposed Ribo Bobo for a tag since then.

Ribo Bobo rolled to starter allowance wins at Penn National and Parx Racing in his last two outings, flirting with track records in both victories.

“He ran fast the other day at Parx,” Servis said. “It was only a few ticks off the track record, and his race before was also very impressive.

“The last two times we had to ship. Now, we run him at our home track. I feel pretty good about him. He’s a nice old horse.”