It didn’t take long for 18-year-old apprentice Chris Elliott to win his first career race since moving from Lone Star Park to Monmouth Park last week.
A son of renowned jockey Stewart Elliott by Smarty Jones, the young Elliott was 34-1 favourite Reclusive to rally from behind before breaking away on the track to win by two lengths in Friday’s $102,000 Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park. His winning time over six furlongs was 1:10.76.
“There’s no better feeling than this,” said Elliott, who is 2-for-2 at Monmouth Park since coming to East to race. “My first career win and at a track I used to go to when I was younger. It’s unbelievable to think that it just happened.
“I was born in Red Bank and raised in Lambertville, and to win my first race at Monmouth Park in my first year of racing is something I can’t put into words.”
Reclusive’s $71.00 winning prize triggered the exacta prize of $391.40 as 18-1 Bel Pensiero finished second, a length ahead of Mia’s Crusade.
Saffie Joseph-trained Intrepid Daydream, rated the 3-5 favourite after a six-month layoff, finished fifth.
Reclusive was last in a field of seven horses after an opening quarter in :21.99 and only one horse had cleared the half mile in :45.29. She was six lengths behind the leaders at the start of the race. Elliott then had to split Bel Pensiero, Mia’s Crusade and Pacific Rose in the stretch as Reclusive claimed her first win on her seventh try. The 5-year-old Texas-bred mare by Flat Out picked up her fifth career win in her 22nd start.
“I wasn’t worried at all about her being too far behind,” said winning trainer Tina Hurley, who is based in Texas. “I had her whole family; she’s the second oldest. Her older sister, Heavenly Rhythm, was a winner in races. She would have coffee and hot dogs along the grandstands before deciding to run and would come in late. There was no problem with being too far behind to start the race because I knew what kind of kick she had.
“Christopher is no ordinary apprentice. He has it all. He has the education, he has the hands and he does an excellent job. I spent a lot of time with him at Lone Star. He has a bright mind, he works hard and you can see he has talent.”
Elliott recorded his first win of his 86th career, having won six times since he began racing in April in Texas.
“I’ve ridden this mare before, because the trainer is from Lone Star Park, where I was until I came here last week,” Elliott said. “I ran her lightly in the morning and galloped her quite a few times. I’ve watched all 10 of her previous races. She’s got a good kick at the end. She doesn’t have a lot of speed but she runs really fast at the end and she certainly did that today.
“When I saw them go that fast from the start, I knew I had something to get closer to.”
Videotapes: Regret S. (BT)
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