Rite Moment can do her rider right

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jermaine Bridgmohan has suffered the typical growing pains of an apprentice-turned-journeyman rider. Since losing his apprentice status on Jan. 10, Bridgmohan has just one winner from 24 mounts.

The win came aboard Rite Moment, whom Bridgmohan will ride again in Saturday's $75,000 Correction Handicap at Aqueduct. Bridgmohan, 19 and the younger brother of jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, hopes that Rite Moment is the right horse to get his journeyman career in gear.

"She might be the horse I need to maybe get a jump-start in riding more here after I lost the bug," Bridgmohan said between races here Thursday. "We're 2 for 2 together. As much as I try to help her, she helps me along with everything I'm doing."

Since being privately purchased by Steve Sigler's Winning Move Stable and trainer Gary Contessa, Rite Moment has won two allowance races over Aqueduct's inner track. She came from off the pace in her first start, on New Year's Day, but raced closer to the pace in her second race, on Jan. 18. In contrast to the running lines, Bridgmohan believes Rite Moment was more relaxed in her second start.

"I did have to maneuver her to get her back a little bit," Bridgmohan said about the New Year's Day race. "She was really sharp that day, really eager to go.

"She's learned so much because last time she relaxed so beautifully, it was almost like two different horses. She broke, she sat right off the pacesetter, and when I asked her she gave me a pretty good kick."

Relaxing may be the key to victory for Rite Moment against five rivals in the Correction. With Mulligatawny and Beau Dare in the field, the pace is likely to be strong early.

Mulligatawny has reeled off four consecutive victories since Steve Asmussen claimed her for $25,000 last August at Saratoga. This will be her biggest test to date. Stewart Elliott rides from the rail.

Beau Dare recorded a front-running victory in a third-level allowance race over the inner track on Dec. 26, her first start on dirt since June 2006.

"She had the speed bias that day - the rail was good, speed was good," trainer Bruce Levine said. "Asmussen's filly could be a fly in the ointment."

Spectacular Malibu returns to the races for the first time in 14 months. She had been sidelined due to a strained ligament. Her trainer, Michael Trombetta, said earlier this week he's looking forward to running her this weekend. Steve Klesaris entered the uncoupled pair of Charlotte's Di and Circuit Breaker.