OCEANPORT – The words were pointed, as jockey Joe Bravo emerged as an outspoken critic in 2021 when the New Jersey Racing Commission imposed the toughest restrictions on whip use in the country.
Caught in the middle was Monmouth Park, where he won 13 riding titles and was suddenly part of a boycott by some top riders, with the fracture between “Jersey Joe” and the Jersey Shore racetrack he became synonymous with remaining even after national standards on whip use went into effect.
The 52-year-old Bravo relocated to the Southern California circuit for three years. But he spent the winter in Florida at Gulfstream Park, setting the stage for his return to Monmouth Park full-time this summer, beginning with a mount on Saturday’s opening day card.
“I never really had a problem with Monmouth Park during the whole conflict, it was more the New Jersey Racing Commission,” Bravo said. “I don’t know how they feel about me here but I’m glad to be home. I’ll be curious how the fans react.”
And next week he’ll ride longshot Mugatu in the Preakness for trainer Jeff Engler, looking for his first win in a Triple Crown race in a career that’s spanned 36 years, with his mounts winning 5,659 times and earning over $200 million on the track.
More: Behind-the-scenes changes at Monmouth Park come at critical time for NJ horse racing
“I rode him at Gulfstream when he broke his maiden down there and you could see a lot of potential. You could see he was just a baby trying to grow up and getting better and better,” said Bravo, with Mugatu running fifth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes last time out.
Stakes specialist
In his past life as a local, Bravo was the go-to guy on some really good horses, winning 58 graded stakes between 2015-18, including 14 Grade 1 races, and won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 2019. He won the Grade 1 United Nations and Grade 3 Molly Pitcher on Haskell Day 2020.
Now Bravo parachutes back into a jockey’s room deep with talent, including 10-time riding champion Paco Lopez, who battled Irad and Jose Ortiz at the top of the Gulfstream jockey standings over the winter. Bravo rode 15 races at Monmouth Park in 2022 between the Santa Anita and Del Mar meets, but that’s it since 2020.
“That was then, and now we have to collect horses, and it’s going to be challenging because there are a lot of riders,” said Cory Moran, the agent for both Bravo and Lopez.
“Joe is more selective these days. He likes to ride for the big outfits, the allowance and stakes races and has done well.”
Building business
Bravo’s lone mount on Saturday is aboard the Michael Pino-trained colt Evening News in an allowance test, his first race at Monmouth Park since Fourth of July 2022.
“This is a last-minute thing,” said Bravo. “Remember that you still have Oaklawn finishing up and Tampa horses that still haven’t been on the grounds yet. I think you are going to see the entries get stronger as the summer goes along.
“I was in California and it came down to did I want to spend another winter racing in California. It’s lovely racing, but four days a week there’s really no other racetracks to go to and so the racing is limited. So I took the opportunity to call my old agent (Cory Moran) and I went to Gulfstream this year. And when it comes to summertime, where do you go? Monmouth Park. It’s pretty cool.”
As for his chances in the Preakness, Bravo points to Mugatu’s last race in the Blue Grass, finishing fifth behind Sierra Leone, who lost the Kentucky Derby by a nose to Mystik Dan, with Joe Talamo in the saddle.
“I fell in love with him,” Bravo said. “Just look at Blue Grass. A couple things could have gone differently for him, and he was only beaten 7 ½ lengths. That puts us in the game, and if some things work out who knows. You have to be in it to win it.”
Long Branch Stakes on tap
Lonesome Boy, fourth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial last time out, and Heartened, fifth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, top a field of eight 3-year-olds for the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes Saturday.
At a mile and 70 yards, the Long Branch winner gets free entry into the $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on July 20.
Trained by Hugo Padilla, Lonesome Boy won the City of Brotherly Love Stakes in the slop at Parx by 6¾ lengths two starts back. Heartened, trained by Todd Pletcher, comes in after finishing second by a neck in an optional allowance claimer in the slop at Keeneland on April 10, after being beaten just 2¼ lengths in the Tampa Bay Derby.
IF YOU GO …
Where: 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport N.J.
When: 12:50 p.m. post time for the first race, with 10 races in all.
Parking: Free
Admission: $6 grandstand and clubhouse
The meet: Monmouth Park will race 51 days through Sept. 15, running Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day in May, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June, July and August, and two days a week, plus Labor Day, in September.
Festival Calendar
May 25-27 – Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival
June 9 – NJ Irish Festival
June 29-20 – Win & Wine Weekend
June 7 – Classic Car & Oldies Day
July 20: Haskell Day
July 27-28 – Italian Festival & Wine Tasting
Aug. 4 Latin Festival: Tacos & Tequila
Aug. 10: Bags, Banks & Beer: Cornhole Tournament
Aug. 17-18: Surf & Turf Seafood Festival
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 – BBQ & Craft Beer Festival
Sept. 7 – Food Trucktemberfest
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: ‘Jersey Joe’ Bravo returns as 2024 Monmouth Park meet opens
