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OCEANPORT, N.J. – As much as trainer Larry Rivelli wants to try his talented gelding One Timer on the dirt, sometimes there are opportunities that are too good to pass up.
That was the case when the Kentucky-bred son of Trappe Shot made his return to racing on May 23 at Presque Isle, rolling to a 6¼-length victory in the Tom Ridge Stakes. Sunday’s $100,000 My Frenchman Stakes for 3-year-olds at 5½ furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park is another one of those situations.
One Timer, whose only career loss in five starts was in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and stablemate Nobals have both been entered for Sunday’s feature at Monmouth Park, with Rivelli cross-entering the duo in the Quick Call Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the turf at Saratoga that same day.
“I’m leaning toward running One Timer at Monmouth Park and Nobals at Saratoga,” said Rivelli. “I entered both at both venues and we’ll make a decision soon and ship them accordingly.”
One Timer, who has banked $208,153 from his five career starts, will be racing at his sixth different racetrack since starting his career with a win at Arlington Park last year, when he ripped off three straight wins prior to the Breeders’ Cup. Of those five career starts – all sprints – three have been on synthetic tracks and two on the grass.
But Rivelli is convinced that, ultimately, One Timer will be a quality dirt horse as well, and one that will stretch out.
“Our goal is to try him on the dirt and to stretch him out a little more, but with the way the races have come up this year we haven’t been able to do that yet,” said Rivelli. “He had a real easy comeback race at Presque Isle. It wasn’t too tough of a spot for him, so we took advantage of that.
One Timer won the Tom Ridge at Presque Isle on May 23 earning Black Type. (Forward to race 7)
“Since we’re based at Colonial Downs now, we’re closer to the Northeast tracks and we were looking to run him on the dirt because I really want to try him on the dirt. But this opportunity was there. So we’ll take another shot going short on the grass.”
Owned by Patricia’s Hope LLC and Richard Ravin, One Timer was purchased for $21,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale in 2020.
“I had a budget at that particular time, and I bought him and a bunch of others,” said Rivelli. “It just so happened he was the cheapest one I bought.”
Stablemate Nobals, also a 3-year-old gelding, is 6-for-9 lifetime, including 4-for-4 this year. Because he and One Timer “are almost identical as far as running styles and age and surface” Rivelli has had to split them up.
He remains convinced that One Timer will be as good on the dirt as he has been on the synthetic and the turf.
“He trains fabulously on the dirt,” he said. “It will be a blessing if he can handle all surfaces the same against all levels of competition. I would say right now his preferred surface is synthetic. But he’s a good horse. He can run on anything.”
Tom Lucci/Monmouth Park
One Timer, with jockey E.T. Baird, winning the Victoria Stakes in 2021 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)
