There’s something about Monmouth Park’s turf course and going a mile and a sixteenth that seems to bring out the best in Air Recruit.

Able to work out an early stalking trip under jockey Charlie Marquez, Air Recruit had to dig in late to hold off a pair of graded stakes winners – one inside, the other outside – to win by a nose in Saturday’s $100,000 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park.

It marked the second straight year that the 5-year-old gelding has won the Oceanport Stakes, much to the delight of owner Mark Grier, who calls Far Hills, N.J. home. Air Recruit is now 2-for-2 at Monmouth Park and 4-for-4 at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.

“I think this edition of the Oceanport was a little tougher than when he won it last year,” said winning trainer Arnaud Delacour. “There were a couple of very nice horses in the field. So I knew he had to bring his ‘A’ game. Obviously he did. He likes Monmouth Park because he has tactical speed so he can get into a rhythm without doing too much.”

The Kentucky-bred son of Air Force Blue, now 5-for-10 lifetime (all on the grass), looked to be clear until the Rob Atras-trained Neat, winner of the Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth on May 30, came charging up the rail, with the Chad Brown-trained Running Bee flying late on the outside.

Running Bee, who appeared to check at a key juncture in the race, was second off a 15-month layoff, with Neat another three-quarters of a length back in third.

The winning time over a turf course labelled good was 1:44.63.

“It was a very tight finish,” said Delacour. “I thought Charlie Marquez did a great job. He won the Laurel Futurity (in 2023) on Air Recruit so he knows the horse. The idea was to track the speed, get a good break and track the speed, and then ride your race. They all came in on (Running Bee) and I think he steadied at the wrong time for him but the right time for us. He came late with a run and just missed even with that trouble.

“It’s great for (owner Mark Grier). He’s from New Jersey and loves Monmouth Park. He spends a lot of time at Monmouth Park so to win this race twice in a row is something I feel good about for him.”

Air Recruit settled into third early behind the front-running Bonus Move and There Are No Words in the field of six 3-year-olds and up.

Marquez was able to grab the lead coming out of the final turn and looked to be home before Neat and Running Bee launched their late bids.

“(Bonus Move) surprised me a little with his early speed,” said Marquez. “I knew There Are No Words would show early speed, but (Bonus Move) seemed to break a little sharper and took the position and they went at it on the front end. I was able to sit the trip and make my move outside.

“Luckily I was able to keep the better horses locked up inside on the fence and get first run and it paid off for me. I wasn’t worried about moving too early. I was on a good horse. We didn’t go too fast. We were going comfortably. When I made my move I made sure I didn’t get him stopped and wanted to get him in contention by himself. When I made my move I didn’t use him at all. He kind of did it by himself.”

Air Recruit returned $9.60 to win.

Bonus Move, ridden by Christopher Elliott, appeared to be comfortable on the front end through early fractions of :24.06, :48.44 and 1:13.11 while getting mild pressure from There Are No Words before both faded.

Marquez and Air Recruit simply got the jump on the late runners, pushing the horse’s career earnings to $361,150. The Graham Motion-trained Cruise the Nile was fourth as the 3-2 favorite.

Delacour said he will look at the Red Bank Stakes at a mile on the grass on Sept. 6 for Air Recruit’s next possible start.