After enjoying his most successful season at Monmouth Park since becoming a regular at the Jersey Shore track in 2018, trainer Mike Dini is now aiming to maintain that success through the upcoming fall and winter meets. This effort begins with Friday’s opening card of the all-turf Monmouth at Meadowlands meet, where Dini has entered two horses in a six-race lineup.
Funky See Funky Do is slated for the fourth race, while Bee More will run in the sixth. Additionally, Dini has four horses entered for Saturday’s races. “The goal is to keep the momentum going,” said the 65-year-old trainer. “I came close to an even better meet at Monmouth but lost a few photo finishes and second-place finishes that could’ve been wins. It would have helped to get more of my turf horses in the races, but summer rains made that difficult.”
Despite the weather challenges, Dini managed to win 20 races from 100 starters during the Monmouth Park meet, placing him fourth in the trainer standings. He also ranked third among owners—he personally owns 15 of the 36 horses he trains—and narrowly missed clinching the top owner spot by just two wins. “I had horses that really fit the program,” Dini noted, recalling his previous best year at Monmouth was 2024, with 15 winners from 136 starters.
Finishing just five wins behind leading trainer Jorge Delgado, Dini’s highlights included winning the Spruce Fir Stakes with Summer’s Comin, a mare who also earned second place finishes in the Eleven North Handicap, Regret Stakes, and Jersey Girl Stakes. “It really comes down to securing better horses,” he added. Dini admitted he hadn’t seriously pursued leading trainer honors at Monmouth this summer because he competed with 13 horses at Saratoga, many of whom could have achieved victories at Monmouth.
Funky See Funky Do will debut for Dini in Friday’s 1 1/16-mile $16,000 claimer after previously being trained by Chad Summers. The horse has posted impressive workouts recently, including delivering the fastest four-furlong time at Saratoga on August 23 out of 115 horses. “He’s naturally fast and quick in morning workouts. I’m working on getting him to settle down,” Dini explained. “In his last race at Monmouth, he set the pace but faded on soft turf, which he didn’t like. I expect him to perform better on firmer turf.”
Bee More will step up to 1 1/16 miles in a $10,000 maiden claimer after finishing last in a dirt sprint at Monmouth on August 30 in his first career start. Looking ahead, Dini plans to keep his routine, staying for the nine-day Monmouth at Meadowlands meet before moving on to Tampa Bay Downs, which begins racing on November 18.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on September 16, 2026, where it appeared in the News section.
Fan Take: Mike Dini’s determination to build on his strong Monmouth Park season highlights the competitive spirit that drives horse racing forward. For fans, his focus on improving turf performance and developing promising horses like Funky See Funky Do signals exciting upcoming races and the potential for fresh stars to emerge in the sport.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
