Snake Pit Strikes at Monmouth Park

Dubb, Bethlehem, Elkstone and Ross’s Snake Pit uncoiled a powerful stretch run to capture the $41,400 allowance/optional claiming feature at Monmouth Park on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 13,192.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Abel Castellano Jr., Snake Pit stepped the mile and 70 yards over a fast main track in 1:41 1/5 and paid $7.40, $4.40 and $3.40.  Spa City Fever, who checked in nearly three lengths behind the winner, completed the $51.80 exacta and returned $4.40 and $3.  It was another 6 ¼ lengths back to Going to Market, who paid $3.20 to show.

A 4-year-old colt by Arch from the Broad Brush mare Lenatareese, Snake Pit has won 4 of his 15 lifetime starts.

Earlier on the card, trainer Jorge Navarro tied the record for most wins in a day when he sent out four winners on the Saturday program.  Navarro, leading trainer at Monmouth Park last year, took the first race with Bamboo Stick ($6.20), the second with Someday on Sunday ($10.40), the third with Upon Reflection ($6.60) and the sixth with Lasso ($5.40).

The record of four wins on a card by a trainer was set by J. Willard Thompson on Sept. 8, 1975 and equaled by Robert Klesaris (July 10, 1987), John Forbes (Aug. 28, 1989), Bruce Alexander (June 10, 2011), Kiaran McLaughlin (July 9, 2011) and Navarro on Sept. 22, 2013.