Spina ready for anything
Rain or shine, Chuck Spina is in a good spot Wednesday at Monmouth Park.
The trainer has two 5-year-old mares, Risque Centerfold and Fields of Gail, entered in one-mile races, and the horses have radically different preferences with respect to moisture in the main track.
The card, the first Wednesday of the season on the Jersey Shore, starts a busy stretch at Monmouth. The track will run 11 of the next 12 days, with July 5 the only dark day.
On a fast track, Risque Centerfold looks overmatched in the eighth race, a $60,000 allowance and optional claimer. Spina was looking to run her for a claiming price of $20,000 to $25,000 before landing in this race with its third-level allowance conditions, where five of the seven runners carry $60,000 claiming prices.
A wet track is a very different story.
"She moves up 10 lengths in the mud or slop," Spina said. "It's too tough a race on a fast track. I'm leaning toward scratching, unless we get a monsoon like we did Saturday."
Fields of Gail, in contrast, hates a wet track. She looks very tough in the fourth race, a $47,500 first-level allowance for New Jersey-breds, if the strip comes up dry.
Fields of Gail just missed by a head last time in a front-running effort.
Fields of Gail drew post 10 in an 11-horse field Wednesday and could wind up with a good stalking trip in a race lacking dominant inside speed.
Bravo, Garcia suspended for incident
Joe Bravo and Alan Garcia were both handed suspensions by the Monmouth stewards for an incident in the ninth race on June 18.
Bravo, the meet's leading rider, got three days (June 28-30) and a $1,000 fine for "unprofessional conduct." Garcia will serve 10 days (July 3-12) for "reckless riding."
On the turn, Bravo, aboard Jersey Peach, tried to squeeze inside Garcia on Jay's Wish. Garcia shut off Jersey Peach while body-checking Bravo with an elbow. Bravo took back and stood in the irons, yelling at Garcia, as he circled past. The profanity-laced tirade continued after dismount at the weigh-in scale.
Jersey Peach, the 8-5 favorite, was fourth with Jay's Wish fifth.