Oceanport, NJ – Al and Michelle Crawford Racing’s Fire Mission sat perfectly off the early speed duel before swinging to the outside at the top of the stretch and powering home a 3 ¾ length winner in Saturday’s $42,000 allowance optional claiming feature at Monmouth Park before a crowd of 11,515.

            Trained by Jorge Navarro, Fire Mission stopped the timer at 1:09.11 for the six furlongs and paid $4.80 and $2.80 as the 7-5 post-time favorite in the field of five geldings. He’s Got Talent completed the $14.20 all-Navarro exacta and paid $3.40. It was another seven and a half lengths to Uplifting, who checked in third.

            “We wanted to get him covered up after he broke well,” said winning rider Nik Juarez. “We just wanted him to settle behind the pace and look to make one good run at the head of the lane. He’s a really good horse that seems to keep on improving.”

            The 7-year-old son of Wildcat Heir out of the Pioneering mare Peruija made it three wins in a row, all at Monmouth Park, and boosted his career record to 15-6-11 in 58 starts.

            Earlier in the card, Navarro, leading trainer at Monmouth the past four seasons, broke the record he set last year for most wins in a single meet when Don’t Tell Vanessa gave the conditioner his 60th winner this meet by taking the third race.

Live racing concludes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, Sept. 10 which is headlined by a mandatory payout in the Jersey Shore Six, which boasts a carryover of $15,073 – gates open 11:30 a.m., first post 12:50 p.m.