Gill tops owners; Shuman leads all trainers

OCEANPORT — Monmouth Park is set to run live racing through Sept. 28 this year, and with three weeks and four days still on the calendar, the races for leading honors come meets-end seem a near certainty.

Joe Bravo appears poised to make history yet again at Monmouth as he shoots for his ninth riding title at Monmouth, breaking his own record of eight titles at the Shore track that he set in 2000.

Through the Labor Day card, Bravo has 96 victories and with some luck could surpass his own record for most wins in a season, 145 set back in 1994. The all-time record still belongs to Chris Antley, who won 171 races at Monmouth in 1984.

Bravo wasn’t on track Monday, as he was busy riding stakes winners at Philly Park, piloting Barbara O’Brien to win the $75,000 Steve Van Buren Handicap and Grand Hombre to take the Grade 3 $750,000 Pennsylvania Derby for Monmouth trainer Dennis Manning.

"I hate to give up a day riding at the Shore," said Bravo, prior to shipping to Philly Park on Monday. "When you get to ride a horse like Grand Hombre for Dennis Manning, you have to go. He’s a real talented colt and I’m real glad I get to be aboard him."

Following Bravo in the jockey standings is Jose Ferrer with 65 wins, Julian Pimentel with 55, and the pair of Jose Velez Jr. and Chuck C. Lopez, each with 43 trips to the winner’s circle.

The trainers’ race belongs to Mark Shuman, who’s sent out 43 winners this season. Next in line is Tim Hills, last year’s top conditioner, with 27 victories, eight more than Ben Perkins Jr., top trainer at the 2000 meet. Tied in fourth are Allen Iwinski and Alan Seewald, each with 18 wins to their credit.

The owners’ race continues to be a runaway for Michael Gill, who has 52 victories this season at Monmouth. E&G Stables is second with 15 wins, two more than Runnin Horse Farms, the top owner the past four Monmouth meets.

Clemente enjoying first season

at Monmouth

Flashback to early April at Monmouth Park. A new rider from Peru named Alfredo Clemente arrived in the United States looking to make a name for himself in a new country at a new racetrack.

Fast-forward to Sept. 1 and Clemente has stamped himself as a rider who certainly bears watching. Through Sunday’s card, the 27-year-old jockey has ridden 249 horses with 35 wins, 27 places and 29 shows, piloting home 14 percent winners and 37 percent in the money. All that is good for sixth place in the current Monmouth Park standings, the highest of any of the new riders trying Monmouth Park for the first time this year.

"I really like it here," said Clemente, who’s been riding since 1992. "It’s a lot different than Peru. There, there’s really just one track, but here there’s a lot of tracks and a lot of riders from everywhere."

Prior to coming to the United States, Clemente was among the leading riders the past eight years in his native Peru and the winningest stakes rider last year. Prior to this season, Clemente had been to the United States just once before to ride a stakes horse at Belmont in 1995.

"I used to go to the races with my father," Clemente said. "He was a player and I always went with him. My neighbor in Peru was an apprentice and he introduced me to a few people at the track, and that’s how I became a jockey. I rode my first race in 1992.

"The track in Peru is where Prado (Edgar) and Chavez (Jorge) used to ride. Today, because of the economy there, the purses aren’t what they used to be. Here, the money’s great and Monmouth is very nice track."

Following the Monmouth season, Clemente plans to ride at the Meadowlands and then Aqueduct in the winter. As for returning to Monmouth next summer, "I sure hope so," the rider said. "I’ve had a lot of success here and it’s a great place to race."

In addition to his credentials as an accomplished jockey, Clemente also has a degree in electronics from the Universidad Ricardo Palma, located in Minaflores, Peru.