Share the Ride Wires Mr. Prospector

OCEANPORT, NJ – Silvino Ramirez’s Share the Ride led the field from gate to wire in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Share the Ride broke sharply from the far outside post 7 under Ferrin Peterson and went straight to the lead. With Speightsford giving closest chase early, Share the Ride set opening fractions of :22.45 and :44.94.

The even-money favorite Awesome Anywhere made a bid in the far turn but could not get closer than within a length of the leader, who rebroke once he finally changed leads and drew off in the stretch.

The Antonio Arriaga trainee crossed 3 3/4 lengths clear in a final time of 1:09.18 for the 6-furlong fast dirt sprint.

“I gave him a really big warmup, got away from the pony, and he was really sharp,” Peterson said after winning her first career stakes. “Honestly, though, the trainer and I were both surprised he broke on the lead, but then I was able to get him to relax and he had that the big kick when I asked for it. He was strong today.”

Awesome Anywhere ran on for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the 6/5 second choice Mind Control. Completing the order of finish came Wendell Fong, Epic Dreamer, and Speightsford.

Absentee was scratched.

Share the Ride’s win was his first at the stakes level and avenged his fifth-place dud in last year’s edition. The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding – claimed for $16,000 on July 5 and fifth in the turf mile Red Bank Stakes (G3) a week ago – improved his record to 16-6-2-3 with $249,860 earned.

“We didn’t expect him to go wire to wire like this,” Arriaga said. “I think he needed his last race going longer to open up his lungs. Then we cut him back from a mile to 6 furlongs for this race. I think that made a difference. He was very sharp today.”

Share the Ride returned $19.40 to win, $4.80 to place, and $2.80 to show. Awesome Anywhere brought back $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show, while Mind Control paid $2.10 to show.