Prendimi won't sneak up on them in Friendly Lover

Prendimi shocked bettors and the opposition in the John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey-breds at Monmouth Park five weeks ago by posting a $54.40 upset. The 4-year-old will be a much shorter price when he aims for the second stakes win of his career Saturday in the $75,000 Friendly Lover Handicap, which will be held at the same six-furlong distance.

A third-generation GJ Stable homebred, Prendimi is now 3 for 13. He is by the stallion Dance With Ravens, who was sold to Saudi Arabian interests in 2016, and out of the two-time stakes winner Cigno d’Oro, who earned $372,000. GJ Stable also raced Cigno d’Oro’s dam, Signa.

Prendimi, who is trained by Luis Carvajal Jr., earned his Reilly victory on the up and up. Despite not breaking sharply, he battled 9-year-old Saucy Don into submission on the lead, then held off the charge of late-running Chunnel to win by a neck.

Ten-time winner Chunnel will likely be favored Saturday. The 8-year-old, who is trained by Jorge Navarro, picks up three pounds from the Reilly and is the 124-pound highweight. He will concede a pound to Prendimi.

Cozy Lover finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the Reilly after stalking the pace outside horses. He will carry 122, and ability-wise does not seem all that far off the top pair.

◗ Trainer Jason Servis said Maximum Security came out of his runner-up effort in the Pegasus Stakes on June 16 in good shape, that he thought the son of New Year’s Day would move forward off the effort, and that he is being pointed to the Haskell Invitational and the Travers.

“Sometimes you have to run a horse to get them to cycle forward,” Servis said.

◗ Shancelot flexed his muscles Sunday at Monmouth, scoring an easy 6 1/4-length victory going six furlongs to stay undefeated in two starts, both for Jorge Navarro.

A $245,0000 purchase at the 2018 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction, Shancelot went wire to wire to win his career debut by a neck over Bodexpress at Gulfstream Park in February. Bodexpress came back to be second in the Florida Derby to Maximum Security in his next start.

Fort Worth, who was third in Shancelot’s debut, won an Aqueduct maiden race by 6 3/4 lengths next time out.

When asked about Shancelot a day before the Shanghai Bobby colt’s Monmouth win, Navarro called him “the best horse I’ve ever trained.” He explained that he had sent him to a farm after his maiden win to give him time off prior to a summer campaign.

Shancelot earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in his debut and a 100 for his optional-claiming romp.

◗ Trainer Pat McBurney, who won last Sunday’s Dan Horn Handicap with Golden Brown, said he is pointing Liz’s Cable Girl to the $75,000 Spruce Hill Handicap, a sprint for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares on July 21. McBurney had wanted to race Liz’s Cable Girl prior to the Spruce Fir but will likely have to train her up to the race after several races failed to fill.

Liz’s Cable Girl was voted the 2018 champion New Jersey-bred older female after going 4 for 7. She won the open Roamin Rachel at Parx and the statebred Eleven North at Monmouth. She is coming off an open optional-claiming win at Parx.