RACING ROUND-UP: 'Jersey' Joe Bravo wins big, Alaazo to stand at Swifty Farms

• Garth Patterson, a prominent jockey during the 1960s and ‘70’s who led the rider standings at Monmouth Park in 1964 and got to meet President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was found dead at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Jan. 25. He was 66.
• Dennis A. Drazin, Chairman of the New Jersey Racing Commission, and Thomas Luchento, President of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, were presented with the 2010 Governor’s Trophy for co-Horseperson of the Year on Jan. 31 at the 54^th Annual New Jersey Breeder’s Luncheon in Eastampton. Drazin helped design and implement the 50 day/$50 million Monmouth Park Meet during the summer of 2010.
• Also at the Breeder’s Luncheon, Love That Dance won the Secretary of Agriculture Award for the New Jersey Thoroughbred of the Year. According to HarnessLink.com, “her most impressive performance of the year was winning the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap at Monmouth Park by 8 and a half lengths in September.”
• “We’re not convinced that it will be paid. We wrote a letter to the racing commission and hand delivered it Wednesday (Feb. 2) because we can use this money now. If paying it out drags on, the Meadowlands neet could be over. And Freehold needs it now. They just purses because their purse account is overpaid somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000.” –Leo McNamara, executive administrator of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, on Gov. Christie’s purse supplement.
• Lightly-raced Pomeroys Pistol “took the rail to a front-running 14-1 upset win in the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes, outlasting favorite Dancinginherdreams by three-quarters of a length at Gulfstream Park” on Jan. 30. Pomeroys Pistol broke her maiden in her debut last September at Monmouth Park, won for the second time in five career starts and boosted her earnings to $188,990 with the winner’s share of $120,000.
• Alaazo, a graded stakes-placed son A.P. Indy out of the grade II-winning Deputy Minister mare Atelier who won at Monmouth Park and at Gulfstream Park in his first two starts, has been retired from racing to stand at Swifty Farms near Seymour, Ind. His fee is $1,500.
• “Jersey” Joe Bravo, “for years the king of Monmouth Park,” had a big afternoon in South Florida on Jan. 9. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Bravo rode the longshot winners of both Grade 3 co-features, 12-1 Little Mike in the open Fort Lauderdale and 26-1 Justaroundmidnight in the Marshua’s River for fillies and mares. A $2 daily double on Bravo’s winners paid $648.60.”
• Soaring Empire, a son of Empire Maker owned by Rick Pitino’s Ol Memorial Stable and Clint Glasscock who won Monmouth Park’s Rutgers Stakes, registered a 1 1/4-length victory in Gulfstream Park’s $100,000 Hal’s Hope on Jan. 8.

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