As Freehold Raceway Track Announcer Edison Hatter said, Rockinwiththebest harvested a two-year goose egg with his win Friday, Feb. 24 at Freehold. The Indiana sired old-timer rallied late to pick up the win in 2:00.2.
Rockinwiththebest gave Jim Marohn Jr. his fifth win on the Friday, Feb. 24 racing program at Freehold Raceway. The 10-year-old scored his first win in two years.
Starting from post five, Rockinwiththebest was the first name heard when the starting gate folded, leaving for the lead. However he felt immediate opposition on the inside as fellow Indiana sired gelding Bludhaven and Jacob Cutting and James Riverside and Vincent Ginsburg also had intentions of leading early. Rockinwiththebest and Jim Marohn Jr. were hung three-wide around the first turn before things opened up and he was able to move over behind Bludhaven and follow along through the quarter in :29.3, half in 1:00.0 and three-quarters in 1:29.3.
Around the final turn, Momma’s Artist and Austin Siegelman moved first over but Rockinwiththebest stayed in along the rail and decided to try his luck in the passing lane. Once they had reached the stretch, Rockinwiththebest veered down to the inside and shot up the rail, grabbing the win by one length over Officer Blue Chip, who won a tight photo over Bludhaven.
Rockinwiththebest paid $5.00 in the $4,000 conditioned pace. The 10-year-old Rockin Image gelding is owned and trained by Brandon Mongiello. It was the fifth win of the day for Marohn Jr.
Rockinwiththebest began his racing career at three at Harrah’s Hoosier Park under the direction of Roger Welch before relocating to Pocono Downs. He has spent the remaining part of his career on the East Coast, winning races all up and down the Eastern Seaboard, including at The Meadowlands. Mongiello has owned and trained him since his five-year-old season. Overall, he now has 25 wins in 237 starts with earnings of more than $230,000. His career best time of 1:51.3 was taken as a five-year-old at The Meadowlands.
Rockinwiththebest is from a very strong maternal family. His mother, Best Place, has had 10 horses of racing age with eight of them taking records. The leader of the pack is Always At My Place, who has a mark of 1:47.2 and more than $1.2 million on his card and still racing. Six of the foals have six figures on their card. The most recent standout is Best Place to Be, who took a mark of 1:50.3 last year and the Always a Virgin mare has nearly $200,000 on her card.