Johanna Glen-Teven’s Proudinsky , who has been knocking heads with the top-level turf runners across the United States all year long, takes a slight dip in class Aug. 2 and headlines Monmouth Park’s Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT). The 1 1/16-mile race for older horses on the turf is the race prior to the Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I) on the Jersey Shore.
Proudinsky faces six rivals in the Oceanport and the 6-year-old German-bred runner tuned up for the event with a third-place effort, beaten just a length by Presious Passion, in the June 13 Monmouth Stakes. In last year’s Monmouth Stakes, Proudinsky finished strongly to finish second, beaten a neck by 3-year-old star Big Brown .
Earlier this year, Proudinsky won the San Gabriel Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita and the Mervin Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) over a “good” turf course at Fair Grounds.
Several locals are out for a win in the Oceanport including Get Serious, Roman Tiger, and Kiss the Kid.
Get Serious, trained by Monmouth legend John Forbes, is two-for-two on the Monmouth turf this season with wins in the one-mile Battlefield Stakes July 11 and in the May 23 Elkwood Stakes.
Four-year-old Roman Tiger makes just his second start of the seaon in the Oceanport for owner/trainer Dennis Manning. Roman Tiger rallied from far back to finish third in an allowance event July 4. He was third, beaten only a neck in last year’s Jersey Derby on the Haskell undercard.
Kiss the Kid, third in the Monmouth Handicap, won the Appleton (gr. IIIT) and Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier this year.
Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT), $200,000, 1 1/16 miles, turf, 3-year-olds and up, Monmouth Park, approx. post 5:39 p.m. EDT
PP – Horse – Jockey – Wgt.
1 - Get Serious – Paul Fragoso -118
2 - Roman Tiger - Carlos H Marquez Jr. - 116
3 - Pleasant Strike - John Velazquez - 116
4 - Tizdejavu – Joe Bravo – 116
5 - Kiss the Kid – Elvis Trujillo - 120
6 - Radical Sabbatical - E Coa - 116
7 - Proudinsky - K J Desormeaux - 123