Wildwood Dancer, Ray'swarrior figure to hook up in Rumson Stakes

The eight-race holiday card at Monmouth Park on Thursday is topped by the $75,000 Rumson Stakes – but don’t blink, you might miss it. The five-furlong main-track sprint has signed up some fast veterans, who should appreciate the abbreviated distance.

The card also features a pair of 2 1/16-mile steeplechase maiden races, which have been brought back after being canceled due to wet course conditions June 21.

Wildwood Dancer and Ray’swarrior look to be the quickest of the quick in the five-horse Rumson. They figure to be stalked by Share the Ride, with comebacking Wonderful Light and Pudding possibly trailing early.

A 7-year-old trained by Jorge Navarro, Wildwood Dancer is 2 for 2 in dirt sprints of less than six furlongs. Nine for 37 overall, he won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race at Hawthorne in spring 2016 and an optional claimer going the same distance at Fairmount Park last May.

Although he came from off the pace in both of those victories, he has been showing a high turn of foot in his six starts for Navarro. He finished first in his most recent start, a $12,500 starter race at Parx Racing in late May, but was disqualified and placed third for bumping a rival on the backstretch of the seven-furlong race.

Ray’swarrior finished second for trainer Jason Servis after making the lead in the stretch of his last race, a $40,000 starter at Belmont Park. His race two back, however, was more impressive.

In the six-furlong Florida Cup Sprint at Tampa Bay Downs in March, 7-year-old Ray’swarrior sprinted clear early, then just failed to hold off Extravagant Kid by a head, while 5 3/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Extravagant Kid has since come back to win the Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs and on Saturday finished second in the Grade 1 Highlander on turf at Woodbine.

Share the Ride has won three in a row dating back to last October, all for Colts Neck Stables and trainer Jorge Duarte. He kicked off his 4-year-old season by winning a high-level optional claimer going 5 1/2 furlongs at Parx in mid-May.

Wonderful Light will be making his first start since August and is trained by Michelle Nevin. He has worked 12 times at Belmont Park since April 16 and looks ready to fire off the bench.

He is 8-3-2-2 lifetime and certainly fits here from a class perspective. The question is whether he is quick enough to win at five furlongs first time back.