As someone who has worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote racing in New Jersey, first as a coach then as a horseman’s agent, John Forbes is sure to enjoy what is on offer. level on Saturday at the Far Hills hunt meet in the race that bears his name. The $100,000 John Forbes memorial, attracted a field of 14 evenly matched and, running at two miles on the plane, at a distance that made it a handicap puzzle.
The Forbes Memorial is one of the highlights on the card that also includes a $250,000 GI Grand National Hurdle.
Forbes, the late husband of TDN’s Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes, passed away on January 31, 2021 at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer.
“John is a New Jersey racer,” said Dennis Drazin, President and CEO of Darby Development LLC, which runs the Monmouth Park Speedway.
Forbes won 2,174 races before he retired from training in 2012 to focus on horsemanship issues, becoming president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Riders Association when the corporation took over Monmouth Park from the United States Army. New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority. He was the top coach at Monmouth Park five times and won seven coaching titles at the Meadowlands. Forbes’ best horse is GISW sire Tale of the Cat, and he helped launch rider Julie Krone’s career in the Hall of Fame.
The favorite team on the morning of 3-1 was Cross Border (English Channel), who twice won the GII Bowling Green S and earned $1,173,354. But he hasn’t finished the money in six attempts this year and, at the age of 8, may not be the same as he once was. After racing for Mike Maker, he will start a second for Keri Brion, who plans to convert him into a diver. Like all 14 people in the race, he has never won a two-mile race on a flat surface.
Trained by Michael Dickinson, Royne (Ghostzapper) should be in the mix. He finished third in the Presious Passion S. competition at Monmouth and made some of his best runs in races that lasted 11 and 12. Then came Agitare (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire) }), who will start first in the US after racing in Ireland for James Bolger. Fearsome (GB) (Makfi {GB}) will return to the apartment after racing through jumps at Colonial Downs.
Horse riders will certainly play an important role in a race between flat riders and downhill racers. Flat riders Isaac Castillo, Nik Juarez and Feargal Lynch have mounts and will face 11 regular racers on the track. With racehorses carrying between 140 and 148 pounds, flat horses can carry up to 30 pounds of “dead weight,” perhaps a disadvantage.
Coach Jack Fisher, who will send the Mystic Man (Mucho Macho Man), provided mounts to jump Graham Watters.
“They had a jumper flat race at Colonial Downs and I used a flat runner and I think he made a big mistake, leaving the horse too much work to do.” Fisher said. “I think the divers are probably better simply because they’re used to doing that trip, two miles.”
Fisher has what will be a solid favorite in the Grand National Hurdle in Snap Decision (Spin hard). Top contender in his department for the Eclipse Prize, last time he was disappointed with 3-10 odds in GI Lonesome Glory H. at the Aqueduct. The winner is Noah And the Ark (Ire) (Vinnie Roe {Ire}), who will be looking for a third straight win in Saturday’s $250,000 race. The difference this time could be due to the weight. Snap Decided to take home 168 pounds in Lonesome Glory, giving Noah And The Ark 28 pounds. The Grand National Hurdle is a weight-for-age race and all seven starters will carry 156 pounds.
The second choice in the race with a score of 3-1 at the light line was Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}), a seven-time winner of the European long jump competitions.
