Thursday, May 20, 2010

Monmouth Park Notes - Thursday, May 20, 2010

GET STORMY RIDES FOUR-RACE WIN STREAK INTO ELKWOOD; FREE GRANDSTAND, HALF-PRICE CLUBHOUSE ADMISSION THIS SATURDAY

OCEANPORT N.J. * Multiple Grade 3 winner Get Stormy heads the contentious field of seven in Saturday’s $100,000 Elkwood Stakes, which co-features the opening day card along with the $100,000 Decathlon Stakes * Monmouth will offer free grandstand admission and half-price clubhouse admission for opening day * Great Destinations Travel Show sponsored by the Star-Ledger on tap this weekend.


GET STORMY LOOKS FOR FIFTH-STRAIGHT WIN IN SATURDAY CO-FEATURE

Monmouth’s 2010 Elite Summer Meet, the 50-day racing season during which purses will average nearly $1 million per day, kicks off Saturday, May 22. A pair of $100,000 stakes highlights the 13-race card, which kicks off at 12:50 p.m.

The first co-feature of the day will be the $100,000 Decathlon Stakes for three year olds and upward run at six-furlongs. The field contains seven runners featuring the morning line 3-1 favorite Mr. Fantasy, who is trained by Michael Hushion and owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Brooks & Cammarano. Mr. Fantasy will be ridden by Eddie Castro.

The first turf stakes of the Million Dollar Meet is the $100,000 Elkwood, which contains a field of eight led by multiple Grade 3 winner Get Stormy. Get Stormy, trained by Thomas M. Bush, will be making his first start over the Jersey Shore green and will be ridden by two-time Eclipse Award winner Garrett Gomez for the first time.

“He’s always been a horse that can lay close to the pace,” said Bush. “He likes to be forwardly placed.”

A four-year old colt by Stormy Atlantic, Get Stormy will be making his first start of 2010 this coming Saturday. “The rest was planned for him, we wanted to give him a break,” said trainer Bush. “You always hope to have them ready to run off the layoff, and he’s been training well leading up to the race.”

Get Stormy, who will be shipping to the Jersey Shore the morning of the race, is likely to be the favorite in the 1 and 1/16 mile event.

The field includes local favorite Kiss the Kid, who heads into Saturday’s Elkwood Stakes off a sharp runner-up performance in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes over the synthetic surface at Keeneland.

In addition to Kiss the Kid, rounding out the field are Staying On, Roman Tiger, Rogue Victory, Pleasant Strike, Indian Dance, and Encaustic, who is entered for main track only.


FREE GRANDSTAND ADMISSION FOR SATURDAY OPENING DAY CARD

To celebrate the opening of the 2010 season, Monmouth Park fans will receive free grandstand admission and half-price clubhouse admission on Saturday. Monmouth will offer racing on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, followed by Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Memorial Day on May 31. The track comes back with live racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the summer, with additional Monday cards on July 5 and Sept. 6.

Monmouth Park’s 2010 season gets underway on Saturday, May 22 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 21. The 50-day Elite Summer Meet, with purses averaging nearly $1 million per day, goes from opening day through Labor Day, Sept. 6.

Gates will open at 11:30 a.m. and first post is set for 12:50 p.m. every day except Haskell Day, Aug. 1, when the gates open at 10 a.m. and first post will be 12 noon. In addition, Monmouth will offer twilight cards on July 9, 16 and 23 * first post 2:10 p.m.


MONMOUTH HOSTS GREAT N.J. DESTINATIONS TRAVEL SHOW

Fans who attend opening day at Monmouth Park Saturday will have a chance to sample vacation opportunities in the Garden State at the second annual “Great Destinations of New Jersey Celebration.”

The free family event, which nearly 20 state destination marketing organizations have combined to create, celebrates New Jersey’s amazing vacation, entertainment and travel destinations, and is one facet of National Travel Week.

On Saturday, all fans will receive a GDNJ “passport” when they enter the track. The passport will allow them to visit exhibit booths to pick up New Jersey travel and vacation ideas that encompass all the state has to offer, from the mountains in the northwest part of the state to the beaches at Cape May.

The object of the GDNJ is to highlight family vacations that are available locally and can be reached easily by car.

The passports also make fans eligible to win prizes and trips, with drawings scheduled during the day.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.