INVENTIVE ROLLS TO VICTORY AT MONMOUTH PARK

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Inventive, coming off a pair of thirds in stakes races, proved she was best of them all at Monmouth Park on Thursday, as she drew off to capture the $41,000 allowance/optional claiming feature by nearly four lengths.

The winner, trained by Richard Small and ridden by Carlos H. Marquez Jr., gained command at the eighth pole and dominated through the stretch as she completed the mile and a sixteenth over a fast track in 1:46 4/5.

Inventive, a 3-year-old daughter of Haskell Invitational winner Dixie Union, paid $5.20, $3.20 and $2.80 across the board as the second choice in the field of five fillies and mares. Fabulous Notebook, longest shot on the board at 13-1, held on for second, paying $9.40 to place and $3.80 to show and completing the $41 exacta. Mutual Fund was third, returning $3.20 to show.

This was the second win of the year and the first at Monmouth Park for Inventive, who races for Fitzhugh LLC. She was third in both the Hilltop Stakes and the Pearl Necklace Stakes at Pimlico before today’s victory.