Sunday, August 24 2008

ALMONSOON ROLLS TO SEVEN-LENGTH SCORE IN OMNIBUS STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Almonsoon easily captured the $70,000 Omnibus Stakes, and Renda took the $60,000 Junior Champion Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday as both events were taken off the turf and run on the main track.

A burst water pipe flooded a portion of the turf course near the quarter-pole Thursday night, and grass racing was canceled both Friday and Saturday to give the track a chance to dry out. Sunday’s races are expected to be run on the turf.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008

HYSTERICALADY LOOKS READY TO REPEAT IN MOLLY PITCHER

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Hystericalady will be the odds-on choice to score a repeat victory in Sunday’s $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) * A Little Gem and Open Skies are both horses for courses in the $70,000 Miss Woodford Stakes * Reserved seats near the finish line are available for Monmouth Stakes Day on Sept. 13 * The new turf race will close for nominations on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Last year, Hystericalady came into the $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) off two losing efforts over the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park. She affirmed her love of a real dirt surface by winning the Monmouth race by more than six lengths.

Friday, August 22 2008

HARLEQUIN SKY CAPTURES FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Madara Racing’s Harlequin Sky engaged the leader in midstretch and then drew off to win the $40,000 allowance feature by nearly a length at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The winner, trained by Alan Seewald and ridden by Eddie Castro, raced the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:46 flat and paid $9, $2.60 and $2.10 across as second choice in the field of five.

Thursday, August 21 2008

BIG BROWN’S NEXT START TO BE ON MONMOUTH TURF, SEPT. 13

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Haskell Invitational, is expected to return to the Jersey Shore on Sept. 13 to make his next start in the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes, a mile and an eighth turf contest for 3-year-olds and up.

Big Brown rebounded off a last place finish in the Belmont Stakes on June 7 to capture Monmouth Park’s signature race, the $1 million Haskell on Aug. 3.

HYSTERICALADY RETURNS TO SEEK REPEAT IN MOLLY PITCHER

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Hystericalady is back at Monmouth to seek a repeat victory in Sunday’s $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) * A sand sculpting competition will be held at Monmouth Saturday and Sunday, with $5,000 in prizes up for grabs * Other activities this weekend include a $300 handicapping contest on Saturday, and a Miller Lite Month of September grandstand pass giveaway on Sunday.

There are horses, there are courses, and there are horses for courses. And then there’s Hystericalady. The 5-year-old chestnut mare, back at Monmouth to seek a repeat win in Sunday’s $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2), has won stakes at eight different racetracks in five different states during her career, racking up frequent flyer miles and building her bankroll to $2,110,556.

Wednesday, August 20 2008

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3 ADDED TO MONMOUTH’S LIVE RACE DATES

Monmouth Park has added one additional live race day to the 2008 schedule – Wednesday, Sept. 3.

The track was originally scheduled to be dark that day, but will now conduct a live race program, boosting this years total number of Monmouth dates to an even 100.

Live racing at Monmouth runs Wednesday through Sunday, with a first post of 12:50 p.m. Additionally, live racing will take place on Monday, Sept. 1 – Labor Day.

Sunday, August 17 2008

CLASSIFY TAKES SUNDAY’S INCREDIBLE REVENGE STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Classify gained the lead in the shadow of the wire before posting a neck victory in the $60,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Classify covered the 5 ½ furlongs over a fast main track in 1:03 3/5 and returned $7.60 and $3.60. Beau Dare, the 3-2 favorite, set the early fractions but had to settle for second paying $2.80 to place and completing a $22.60 exacta. It was 8 ¾ lengths back to Pure Disco who finished third. Jazzy was last in the field of fillies and mares that scratched down to four runners after being transferred from the turf to the main track.

Saturday, August 16 2008

Monmouth Park Recap for Saturday, August 16, 2008

HONEST MAN BEATS GRASSHOPPER IN ISELIN STAKES AT MONMOUTH; BUNKER HILL, $29, SCORES UPSET IN CONTINENTAL MILE STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Honest Man stalked the pace into the stretch, and then turned on the speed to score a nearly three-length victory in the $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

In the day’s second feature, Flying Dutchman Stable’s Bunker Hill fought back gamely when headed in deep stretch and gained an upset victory in the $60,000 Continental Mile Stakes for 2-year-olds, run over the main track.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, August 16, 2008

JAZZY TOPS COMPETITIVE FIELD IN SUNDAY’S INCREDIBLE REVENGE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * The Mark Hennig-trained Jazzy, beaten a nose in last year’s running of the $60,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes, is back for another try in Sunday’s turf feature * Monmouth stakes winner Prop me Up has been retired from racing, and will be sold as a broodmare prospect.

Friday, August 15 2008

JENNY BEAN GIRL UPSETS FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Ocean View Stables’ Jenny Bean Girl, longest shot in the field at 6-1, gained command in midstretch and held off favored Lucky Revival late to win Friday’s $45,000 allowance/optional claiming feature at Monmouth Park.

Jenny Bean Girl, trained by J. Willard Thompson and ridden by Daniel Centeno, scored by half a length over Lucky Revival, stopping the timer in 1:43 flat for the one mile and 70 yards over a track labeled “good.”

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Friday, August 15, 2008

73RD RUNNING OF ISELIN STAKES LOOMS WIDE-OPEN SATURDAY

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Grasshopper is the morning line favorite, but he’ll have to have his running shoes on in Saturday’s $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes, where the field includes such Monmouth notables as Gottcha Gold and Kiss the Kid * Beacon Hill Road and Rogersville have experience on their side in Saturday’s $60,000 Continental Mile Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Unlike the Haskell Invitational, where Big Brown was an odds-on choice and delighted the chalk players, Saturday’s $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) will be a wide-open betting event.

EXCITABLE MISS, $41.20, UPSETS FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Excitable Miss, a 19-1 outsider, ran down front-running Empress Gracie in the final strides to score a neck victory in the $51,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Thursday.

Excitable Miss, trained by Joe Pierce Jr. and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, raced the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43 3/5 over the fast main track and paid $41.20, $16.60 and $8.80 across the board.