By Bill Finley
As someone who worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote New Jersey racing, first as a trainer then as a horsemen's rep, John Forbes no doubt would have liked what's being offered Saturday at the Far Hills hunt meet in the race named in his honor. The John Forbes Memorial is worth $100,000, has attracted an evenly matched field of 14 and, run at two miles on the flat, is at a distance that makes it a handicapping puzzle.
The Forbes Memorial is among the highlights on a card that also includes the $250,000 GI Grand National Hurdle.
Forbes, the late husband of the TDN's Director of Customer Services Vicki Forbes, passed away Jan. 31, 2021 at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer.
“John was New Jersey racing,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack, said at the time.
Forbes won 2,174 races before he stopped training in 2012 to focus on horsemen's issues, becoming the president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association when the group took over the lease for Monmouth Park from The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. He was the leading trainer at Monmouth Park five times and won seven training titles at the Meadowlands. Forbes's best horse was GISW sire Tale of the Cat, and he helped launch the career of Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone.
The 3-1 morning line favorite is Cross Border (English Channel), a two-time winner of the GII Bowling Green S and an earner of $1,173,354. But he has not finished in the money in six tries this year and, at age 8, may not be what he once was. After racing for Mike Maker, he will be making his second start for Keri Brion, who has plans to convert him to a jumper. Like all 14 in the race, he has never won at the distance of two miles on the flat.
Trained by Michael Dickinson, Royne (Ghostzapper) should be in the mix. He was third in the Presious Passion S. last out at Monmouth and has done some of his best running in 11 and 12-furlong races. Then there's Agitare (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who will be making his first start in the U.S. after racing in Ireland for James Bolger. Fearsome (GB) (Makfi {GB}) will return to the flat after racing over the jumps at Colonial Downs.
The jockeys will no doubt play a major role in a race that pits flat riders versus steeplechase jockeys. Flat riders Isaac Castillo, Nik Juarez and Feargal Lynch have mounts and will go against 11 regulars on the jump circuit. With the horses in the race carrying between 140 and 148 pounds, the flat jockeys could be carrying as much as 30 pounds of “dead weight,” perhaps a disadvantage.
Trainer Jack Fisher, who will send out Mystical Man (Mucho Macho Man), has given the mount to jump rider Graham Watters.
“They had a flat race for jumpers at Colonial Downs and I used a flat rider and I thought he made a huge mistake, leaving the horse with too much to do,” Fisher said. “I think the jump riders are probably better simply because they are used to doing that trip, two miles.”
Fisher has what will be a solid favorite in the Grand National Hurdle in Snap Decision (Hard Spun). The leading contender in his division for an Eclipse Award, he was upset last time out at odds of 3-10 in the GI Lonesome Glory H. at Aqueduct. The winner was Noah And the Ark (Ire) (Vinnie Roe {Ire}), who will be seeking his third straight win in Saturday's $250,000 race. The difference this time could come down to the weights. Snap Decision carried 168 pounds in the Lonesome Glory, giving away 28 pounds to Noah And The Ark. The Grand National Hurdle is a weight-for-age race and all seven starters will carry 156 pounds.
The second choice in the race at 3-1 in the morning line is Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}), a seven-time winner over the jumps in Europe.
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