As much as trainer Larry Rivelli wants to try his talented gelding One Timer on the dirt, sometimes there are opportunities that are too good to pass up.

That was the case when the Kentucky-bred son of Trappe Shot made his return to racing on May 23 at Presque Isle, rolling to a 6¼-length victory in the Tom Ridge Stakes. Sunday’s $100,000 My Frenchman Stakes for 3-year-olds at 5½ furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park is another one of those situations.

One Timer, whose only career loss in five starts was in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is slated to make his next start in the Sunday feature at Monmouth Park.

The speedster, who has banked $208,153 from his five career starts, will be racing at his sixth different racetrack since starting his career with a win at Arlington Park last year, when he ripped off three straight wins prior to the Breeders’ Cup. Of those five career starts – all sprints — three have been on synthetic tracks and two on the grass.

But Rivelli is convinced that, ultimately, One Timer will be a quality dirt horse as well, and one that will stretch out.

“Our goal is to try him on the dirt and to stretch him out a little more, but with the way the races have come up this year we haven’t been able to do that yet,” said Rivelli. “He had a real easy comeback race at Presque Isle. It wasn’t too tough of a spot for him so we took advantage of that.

“Since we’re based at Colonial Downs now we’re closer to the Northeast tracks and we were looking to run him on the dirt because I really want to try him on the dirt. But this opportunity was there. So we’ll take another shot going short on the grass.”

Owned by Patricia’s Hope LLC and Richard Ravin, One Timer was purchased for $21,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale in 2020.

“I had a budget at that particular time and I bought him and a bunch of others,” said Rivelli. “It just so happened he was the cheapest one I bought.”

For now, the first dirt test — and a try at going beyond six furlongs — will have to wait.

“He trains fabulously on the dirt,” he said. “It will be a blessing if he can handle all surfaces the same against all levels of competition. I would say right now his preferred surface is synthetic. But he’s a good horse. He can run on anything.”