Bridgmohan Mulling Staying In Kentucky For The Summer; Counterforce Takes Allowance Feature Under Hernandez

Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan won on two of his three mounts Sunday at Ellis Park, including a $41,000 turf allowance on the LNF Foxwoods’ late-running Sensitive.

Afterward — and before winning the night cap on Kielbasa 25 minutes later — Bridgmohan said he might just wind up staying in Kentucky for the summer, rather than being based at Saratoga in upstate New York, as he’s done in recent years.

“If I’m on live horses, I’m here to win races,” said Bridgmohan, who lives in Oldham County. “If it (Ellis) continues to be good to me, I might just change my mind (about Saratoga). I don’t have a preference where I go, as long as where I go I can do well. It might be a good spot. If I want to stay, this is home for me in Kentucky. I’m under no pressure to make any drastic move.”

The economics of Saratoga are a little different for him than some riders, however, as he also has a home there.

Bridgmohan picked up the mount on Sensitive from Florent Geroux, who rode late Saturday in New Jersey and it wasn’t clear if he could make it to Ellis in time. But Bridgmohan rides a lot for winning trainer Brad Cox, who will have a full division at Ellis as well as Churchill Downs this summer.

Sensitive, a daughter of the Airdrie Stud stallion Divine Park, had to fan nine-wide on the far turn but wore down the leaders for a half-length victory over Valentine Wish. She covered the mile over very firm turf in 1:33.05, not far off the course record of 1:32.60, and paid $11.40 to win as the third choice in the field of 12 fillies and mares.

“She was always traveling great for me the whole time,” Bridgmohan said. “All I had to do at the end was just give her some daylight. Once I did and knuckled down on her, she gave me what I wanted.”

In beating older fillies in her first start of the year, the 3-year-old Sensitive was running at her fourth track and with her fourth different rider in four starts. Sensitive was trained last year by Michael Dickinson, racing on the East Coast.

Counterforce takes second-level allowance

Odds-on favorite Counterforce split horses in the stretch to win the $42,000 second-level allowance feature by a length over Bourbon Cowboy. Most of six horses at various times looked like the winner, with 2 3/4 lengths separating the field with less than a mile to go. But Counterforce was the last to exert himself, covering the six furlongs in 1:10.60. It was length back to All Shacked Up.

“That was a decent race,” said Brian Hernandez Jr., winning the race for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Ron Winchell. “This horse ran big his last two races, and today we were fortunate enough to work out the trip and got the best of them.”

Counterforce won Oaklawn’s Bachelor eight races back as a 3-year-old in his third start, then was second in Pimlico’s Chick Lang before finding the water deeper in graded-stakes company. In four races this year against allowance company, he’s had a good fourth, better third, close second and then the win.

Cannon knocks out first victory of meet on 2-year-old filly

Stan Bernstein’s Belles Orb, a daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, won the first 2-year-old filly race of the season, battling favored Mrs. Rocco throughout before edging away late for a length victory, while covering five-eighths of a mile in 59.37 seconds. Belles Orb paid $7.60 to win as the second choice in the field of 10. It was another three-quarters of a length back to third-place Party Club, owned by the Churchill Downs Racing Club.

“She’s very professional,” said Declan Cannon, who rode Belles Orb for trainer Eddie Kenneally. “The rail helped me. I had a lot left coming close to the wire. I think she’ll improve a lot for the run. She had a nice experience today, so more to come. I work a lot of 2-year-olds for Eddie. When he said he might be able to get me on her, I was thrilled. I’m just glad to get a winner early in the meet here, because getting on the board early is important.”

Sprinting out: Joe Rocco Jr. swept the early double with Prado’s Smoking for trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi and Casanova for trainer Mike Tomlinson (missed a third winner by a nose) …. Winners of Sunday’s three post-racing “Kids on the Track” footraces were 5-year-old Derek Woehler, 9-year-old Kolten Boyles and 12-year-old Chase Rubenacker. The kids’ races will be held after the final horse race each Sunday of the meet… Ellis Park has special holiday cards Monday and Tuesday…. Saturday July 8 is one of the meet’s most popular promotions, with jockeys racing camels and ostriches. Reservations for reserved seats can be made by calling 812-435-8918 or reservations@ellisparkracing.com.