Kelly Breen

OCEANPORT, NJ-Every year, opening day at Monmouth Park marks the unofficial start of the summer season on the Jersey Shore. This year, it seems, Mother Nature didn't get the memo. Fans on-hand for Friday's card braved temps in the mid-50's and steady rain that intensified as the twilight card wore on. Among the casualties, the day's feature--the Jersey Derby--was taken off the turf, losing a pair of 3-year-olds in the process, however, the show marched on resolutely. At the conclusion of the six-race card, total handle was $1,528,236, while the...

Gary and Mary West homebred Slumber Party (Malibu Moon) showed off a high cruising speed Sunday to easily best a well-bred group of fillies at Gulfstream and earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. With an upbeat worktab at Palm Meadows on display, the 5-1 shot broke on top and quickly opened up on her competition down the backside. She posted splits of :22.50 and :45.33, and rounded the bend five or six lengths clear. Showing no signs of stopping from there, the chestnut cantered home a geared-down 7 1/2-length winner,...

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire (Poseidan's Warrior), a late-closing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, will make his next start in the Dec. 5 GI Cigar Mile. "He's back at Belmont and that's what we're pointing for," trainer Kelly Breen said of the Cigar Mile. The 5-year-old rallied from 11th to finish third under jockey Jose Lezcano in the Nov. 7 Sprint at Keeneland. "It was a good race," Breen said of the veteran's most recent start. Breen said Lezcano, aboard for Firenze Fire's GII Vosburgh Invitational win Sept....

7th-Aqueduct, $79,540, Alw, 11-13, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17.20, sy, 4 1/2 lengths. FULL IMPACT (c, 3, Street Sense--Four Gifts {MGSW, $640,068}, by Even the Score) was a front-running winner going six panels at Monmouth Oct. 14 and was installed the 3-2 choice to remain undefeated. Up to prompt 9-2 chance War Tocsin (Violence) through a :22.59 opening quarter, the grey was at the pacesetter's throat latch following a :46.47 half. Moving into a clear advantage leaving the quarter-pole, he left the tiring rival behind and drew off to an...

Kelly Breen, who capped the season with a pair of stakes wins on the closing-day card, was the leading trainer at the Monmouth Park meet which concluded Sunday. It was Breen's third training title at the New Jersey oval, but his first in 14 years. "It means a lot," said Breen. "To think back to when I last won the title 14 years ago to today, I lost both of my parents over that time and today would have been my mom's birthday. So it's special. I felt like I...

Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), just a nose shy in a heart-stopping renewal of the GII Vosburgh S. last year, contested then as a Grade I, continued his love affair with Belmont Park in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Firenze Fire sat a stalking trip in second through an opening quarter in :22.33, made his move at the leader as they stacked up four across the track past the quarter pole, and kicked home nicely to punch his ticket to Lexington. Favored Funny...

At a time when there's so much negative news in the Thoroughbred industry (and sadly, the entire world it seems) some of the good people in the game merit a few words. On August 29th, veteran rider Jose Ferrer celebrated his 4500th career victory on our filly Tracy Ann's Legacy (Shackleford) at Monmouth Park. The video from that win is priceless; you can hear Jose's wife, Steffi and their two kids screaming and cheering as she comes down the stretch seven lengths in front. Seeing Jose's face as he brings...

When Ferrin Peterson came to Monmouth to ride this spring, she expected that she would have nine months as an apprentice rider to get her feet under her. And if she hadn't been so good, she would have. Last weekend at Monmouth, Peterson not only lost her bug after winning her 40th race Saturday, but went on to have the most successful weekend of any rider at the track, with four wins, five seconds and five thirds. Three of those wins came without the seven-pound allowance with which she had...

Garoppolo (Outwork) became the first winner for his freshman sire by (Uncle Mo) in the Belmont opener Friday. An even fourth on debut at this strip June, he fired a pair of bullets in the interim, most recently working three panels in :35 flat (1/6) at Belmont June 26, and was given a 6-1 chance this time. Tracking from third through a :22.30 opening quarter, the $125,000 OBSMAR buy swept up three wide to draw even with the leaders at the top of the stretch and kicked clear in the...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley There was no word Sunday from the camp of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) regarding where their mare would run next and what the long-term goals are for the season. But we know this much: Midnight Bisou is outstanding, her connections took on males once, in the Saudi Cup, and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic is a lot bigger deal than the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Does that add up to her starting in the Classic? Fans of this sport can only hope that...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols 3rd-BEL $64k, MSW, 2yo, 5f, post time: 2:23 p.m. The timely named FAUCI (Malibu Moon) is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the first 2-year-old race of the year in New York. Trained by Wesley Ward for Lindy Farms and Ice Wine Stable, the bay colt was a $175,000 KEESEP yearling. The race also includes a pair of graduates of the recent OBS March sale. Kelly Breen saddles Garoppolo (Outwork), who was purchased by Mr Amore Stable for $125,000 following a :21 1/5 quarter-mile work in Ocala....

Following a tweet from Rockingham Ranch owner Gary Hartunian that he was sending the horses he had with Jorge Navarro to trainer Brad Cox, Cox told the TDN that he would not be accepting the horses. "It's not true," Cox said of Hartunians's tweet. "After everything that has been going on the last day and a half, I don't feel comfortable accepting any of the horses that are involved in this situation." Cox's statement came after Hartunian tweeted the following Tuesday morning: "All of my horses with Jorge are being...