Saturday, July 12 2008

Monmouth Park Recap for Saturday, July 12, 2008

TRUTH RULES UPSETS ATONED IN LONG BRANCH AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Upsets ruled at Monmouth Park on Saturday as Robert LaPenta’s Truth Rules scored a shocker in the $150,000 Long Branch Stakes and Salvatore Racing Stable’s Fagedaboudit Sal, the longest shot on the board, captured the $70,000 Bob Harding Stakes on turf.

Truth Rules, sent off the absolute outsider in the field of five 3-year-olds at 16-1, rallied from dead last on the turn to run down favored Atoned by a head at the wire, stopping the timer in 1:45 1/5 for the mile and a sixteenth.

The victory likely earned the colt a berth in Monmouth’s $1 million Haskell Invitational on August 3.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, July 12, 2008

SMALL SENDS OUT A PAIR IN SUNDAY’S SERENA’S SONG STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Trainer Richard Small will saddle a pair of fillies in Sunday’s $70,000 Serena’s Song Stakes, a prep for the Grade 3 Monmouth Breeders’ Cup Oaks on Aug. 9 * Marianne Hesse contributed $40,000 to raise the purse of the Charles Hesse 3rd Handicap on Aug. 3 to $100,000 * The 17th annual Backstretch Appreciation Day picnic will be held on Monday at Monmouth.

Sunday’s $70,000 Serena’s Song Stakes for 3-year-old fillies deserves special attention because the mile and 70-yard race serves as a prep for the $150,000 Monmouth Breeders’ Cup Oaks (G3) that will be renewed on August 9.

Friday, July 11 2008

$100,000 GUARANTEED POOL SET FOR 60-MINUTE SIX SATURDAY

The 60-Minute Six, a new pick six wager that combines races from four Eastern tracks, will again have a $100,000 guaranteed pool this Saturday.

This Saturday’s 60-Minute Six will combine the sixth race from Belmont; the seventh and eighth races from Monmouth; the eighth and ninth races from Delaware Park, and the ninth race from Philadelphia Park. The races are chosen so all six will run within a one-hour span. The Belmont race will be the first leg with a 3:40 p.m. post. The Delaware race will be the final leg with a post time of 4:31.

The 60-Minute Six will be offered every Saturday through Aug. 30, and has a $2 base wager, with $1 part wheels available. If no one successfully selects all six winners, 75 percent of the pool will carryover to the following Saturday’s 60-Minute Six.

OH DEANNE O CAPTURES MONMOUTH TURF FEATURE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Oh Deanne O set most of the pace and stayed strong through the stretch as she scored a half-length victory in the $45,000 allowance feature on the Monmouth turf course Friday afternoon.

The winner, trained by Cam Gambolati and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, raced the one mile over a firm grass course in 1:34 2/5 and paid $8, $4.40 and $3.60 across the board as the second choice in the field of seven fillies and mares.

OUR FRIEND HARVEY TRIES TO STAY PERFECT IN MC SORLEY

Laurence Foggle’s Our Friend Harvey found his happy place last July 26 when he raced five and a half furlongs on the Monmouth turf. He won that allowance race, and then came back from a fruitless Florida campaign this winter to capture the Wolf Hill Stakes on June 1. Same course, same distance.

Now the 4-year-old by Put It Back gets his third chance at five and a half furlongs on the grass in Sunday’s $60,000 John McSorley Stakes, and trainer Tim Hills says “Harvey” is ready.

ATONED LOOKING FOR HASKELL BERTH IN SATURDAY’S LONG BRANCH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the last two runnings of the $1 million Haskell Invitational, will be looking for a 2008 starter when he runs Atoned in Saturday’s $150,000 Long Branch Stakes * Our Friend Harvey will try to stay unbeaten sprinting on the Monmouth turf in Sunday’s $60,000 John McSorley Stakes * Saturday’s 60-Minute Six will offer a $100,000 guaranteed pool.

Six 3-year-olds are slated to take a major step toward the $1 million Haskell Invitational when they go in Saturday’s $150,000 Long Branch Stakes.

SHANANIES SONG CAPTURES MONMOUTH SPRINT FEATURE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Shananies Song, making her first start in 21 months, ran down S.S. Belle inside the sixteenth pole to score by a length and a quarter in the $41,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Thursday.

The winner, trained by Ned Allard and ridden by Josiah Hampshire Jr., raced the six furlongs in 1:10 1/5 over the fast main track and paid $8.80 to win and $2.60 to place as second choice in the field of four fillies and mares.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Thursday, July 10, 2008

Hey Byrn, coming off a seventh behind Big Brown in the Preakness, will have Joe Bravo aboard in Saturday’s $150,000 Long Branch Stakes, a prep for the $1 million Haskell Invitational * I’m Only Laughing looks to be in a good spot in Saturday’s $70,000 Bob Harding Stakes on the turf * Monmouth Park will celebrate “St. Patrick’s Day in July” on Sunday with free grandstand admission for fans wearing anything green.

The “second season” for 3-year-olds starts this Saturday at Monmouth Park with the 74th running of the Long Branch Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth. The race serves as Monmouth’s main prep for the $1 million Haskell Invitational on August 3, and horses who run well in the Long Branch are traditionally offered invitations to the Grade 1 Haskell.

Thursday, July 10 2008

MISS KNEEHIGH NEVER HEADED IN FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Patricia Generazio’s Miss Kneehigh took command from the gate and led the entire way to win the $51,000 allowance feature by a length and a half at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

Miss Kneehigh, trained by Tony Wilson and ridden by Daniel Centeno, raced the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:11 3/5 and paid $7.20, $3.20 and $2.40 across the board as third choice in the field of six New Jersey-bred fillies.

KISS THE KID RETURNS TO GRASS SATURDAY IN BOB HARDING STAKES

Hardacre Farm’s Kiss the Kid, who has won on both dirt and turf at Monmouth, returns to the green here Saturday when he goes in the $70,000 Bob Harding Stakes at one mile. The race is a prep for the $150,000 Oceanport Stakes (G3) on Aug. 3.

“I want him to get a graded stakes win,” said owner-trainer Amy Tarrant, “and he’s better on the turf.”

Kiss the Kid, a son of Lemon Drop Kid * Black Tie Kiss, by Danzig, finished second in last year’s running of the Oceanport, and this year was third in both the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, both on the main track.

HARTMANN STILL SAVORING PRESIOUS PASSION’S U.N. WIN

Trainer Mary Hartmann was still flying high Wednesday morning, basking in the glow of her first Grade 1 winner with her first Grade 1 stakes starter -- Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion in last Saturday’s United Nations on the turf.

The 5-year-old son of Royal Anthem also earned an automatic starting berth in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Santa Anita because the U.N. was a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” event.

HASKELL HOPEFULS PREP IN SATURDAY’S LONG BRANCH STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Saturday’s $150,000 Long Branch Stakes serves as Monmouth’s main prep race for the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1), which will be renewed on Aug. 3 * Trainer Mary Hartmann is still excited about getting her first Grade 1 stakes victory with Presious Passion in the United Nations * Kiss the Kid returns to grass in Saturday’s $70,000 Bob Harding Stakes.

We know the 41st running of the $1 million Haskell Invitational is just around the corner because this Saturday brings the $150,000 Long Branch Stakes, Monmouth’s primary prep for the Grade 1 Haskell.