Proforma pulls away in Jersey Shore's final furlong

Proforma made even money look fair in the $60,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, winning the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds with something in reserve under jockey Joe Bravo.

Proforma, a son of Munnings who races for DARRS Inc. and is trained by Mike Stidham, didn't get away from the gate well in his prior start, the $200,000 Chick Lang at Pimlico, and finished fifth. That race was his first in five months. Prior to the layoff he had scored consecutive wins in a Churchill Downs maiden race and the Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds.

On Saturday, Proforma raced between horses while several lengths off the early pace, which was set by Derek's Smile and Alex Again. Bravo sent Proforma after the leaders on the far turn, bid three wide into the stretch, then pulled away in the final furlong to score by 1 3/4 lengths, with Bravo not asking for his best in the final sixteenth.

Proforma paid $4 in the five-horse field and was timed in 1:10.14 over a fast track. He is now 3 for 5 with earnings of $113,290.

Alex Again, who pressed the pace outside Derek's Smile, continued well to be second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Storming My Way, who stayed to the rail throughout and finished third. Derek's Smile tired to finish fifth.

Although speed was playing well at Monmouth, Bravo had no qualms about coming from off the pace or going around the front-runners.

"I had plenty of horse to play with," he said. "I had so much horse I just stayed out of everyone's way."

** In the final race of the day, Jose Delgado, a former jockey, won his first race as a trainer when I'm Thirsty proved best in a $7,500 claiming race.

I'm Thirsty was the third starter for Delgado, who took out his trainer's license at Gulfstream Park this winter. Delgado, 38, is a native of Panama. As a rider, he won 316 races between 1996 and 2014.