Amelia’s Wild Ride returned from a 5½-month layoff with a sharp effort, having just enough in reserve to out-finish Dark Roast by a nose to capture the Friday feature race at Monmouth Park. 

Positioned in a stalking position throughout by jockey Manoel Cruz as What the Chub blazed the early fractions in the five-furlong grass sprint, Amelia’s Wild Ride and Dark Roast raced as a tandem after overtaking the leader in mid-stretch. The difference was actually shorter than the official designation of nose that separated the two at the wire. 

“I couldn’t tell. That was as close as it gets without being a dead heat,” said winning trainer Keith Nations. 

Sent off at 5-2, Amelia’s Wild Ride won for the 11th time in 45 career starts and for the sixth time in 26 lifetime grass starts. The 7-year-old ridgling, owned by Silver Trail Stables LLC, paid $7.00 to win. 

Time for the five furlongs over a firm turf course was :56.24. 

“She raced well early and then seemed to hang a little bit, but she had something left to hold off that other horse,” said Cruz. 

Jockey Jorge Gonzalez was the star of the eight-race card, winning three races. He captured the 2nd race aboard My Bernie ($3.00), the 6th with King Midas ($11.00) and the 8th with Just Sisters ($11.40). 

Racing resumes Saturday with a 12-race card highlighted by the $75,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes. First race post time is 12:50 p.m.