Tuesday, February 02 2010

JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL COMING TO MONMOUTH PARK

RED BANK, NJ – The Red Bank Jazz & Blues Festival will have a new name and a new venue when the annual event moves just four miles down the road to Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport on Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6.

Known for many years as River Fest and then as the Red Bank Jazz & Blues Festival, one of New Jersey’s oldest and largest jazz and blues events will now be known as the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival, according to its organizers, the not-for-profit Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation.

Monday, November 23 2009

TALAMO WINS FIVE, INCLUDING MOCCASIN ABOARD BICKERSONS

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Nov. 22, 2009) — Jockey Joe Talamo capped a four-win afternoon with a victory aboard eastern horse Bickersons in the $100,000 Moccasin Stakes on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Talamo, 19, rode a perfect race, briefly relinquishing the lead on the backstretch when Bickersons was challenged by Neeko, and the Canadian-bred had plenty left when challenged by favorite Crisis of Spirit rounding the far turn.

Saturday, October 03 2009

BRAVE TIN SOLDIER RALLIES TO WIN CLIFF HANGER AT THE BIG M

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. * Brave Tin Soldier sat patiently early before putting in an explosive stretch drive to post a nose victory in the $125,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at the Meadowlands on Saturday afternoon.

Owned and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Brave Tin Soldier was last early off of fractions of :24 for the quarter and :48 2/5 for the half mile, which were set by the favorite Get Serious. Turning for home Brave Tin Soldier rallied widest as the pacesetter failed to sustain his run and Pleasant Strike shot through on the inside. Down to the wire Brave Tin Soldier fought with Pleasant Strike before getting up right at the line, stopping the timer in 1:42 2/5 for the mile and a sixteenth over a yielding turf course.

Sunday, September 27 2009

TRICKY ME, FOUR SCHOOLS WIN JUMP STAKES AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Front-running upsets were the order of the day at the Monmouth Park-Meridian Health Steeplechase Festival on Saturday as Tricky Me, an 8-1 chance, captured the $70,000 Metcalf Memorial Novice Hurdle Stakes, and the 14-1 Four Schools took the $50,000 Helen Haskell Sampson Memorial Hurdle Stakes.

In Saturday’s two features on the main track, Three Day Rush, an 11-1 outsider, won the Colt Division of the $200,000 Monmouth Park-NATC Futurity before 7-10 favorite Proud Zoe captured the $200,000 Filly Division.

Saturday, September 26 2009

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, September 25, 2009

STAKES FINALE SUNDAY A WIDE-OPEN AFFAIR FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS

Monmouth’s 2009 stakes schedule comes to a close Sunday with the first running of the $70,000 Big Brown Stakes, honoring the 2008 champion who won both the Haskell Invitational and Monmouth Stakes here.

The mile and a sixteenth event drew a field of six 3-year-olds, and it’s such a well-matched group there really are no short-priced favorites or long-priced outsiders.

Friday, September 25 2009

STAGE TRICK UPSTAGES RIVALS IN FRIDAY FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Richard Santulli’s Stage Trick dug in tenaciously to hold off the oncoming Burning Calories to capture the $42,000 allowance/optional claiming feature at Monmouth Park on Friday by a nose.

Trained by Alan Goldberg and ridden by Channing Hill, Stage Trick, the lone 3-year-old in the field, covered the mile and 70 yards over a fast main track in 1:43 3/5 and paid $13.40, $8.60 and $3.60. Burning Calories returned $11.60 to place and $5 to show and completed the $187.80 exacta. Lucky Revival, the 6-5 favorite in the field of six fillies and mares, paid $2.40 to show.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Friday, September 25, 2009

MONMOUTH-BASED RUNNERS LONGSHOTS IN NATC COLT DIVISION

The colts and geldings division of Saturday’s $200,000 Monmouth Park NATC Futurity drew an eclectic field of seven that includes four maidens, one first-time starter, a last-out winner and one standout.

The standout, likely to go off odds-on, is Padua Stables’ Enumerate, a son of Proud Accolade who was an unlucky second, beaten a neck, in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga in his second career start. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt finished 11th last out in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, but will likely be forgiven that poor effort when it comes time to wager on the six-furlong Futurity.

DAKOTA DOLL RALLIES TO WIN FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Dakota Doll tracked the leaders early, and then rallied along the rail in the stretch to capture the $52,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Thursday.

The winner, trained by Scott Volk and ridden by Paco Lopez, raced the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:11 3/5 for her first win in five starts this year.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Thursday, September 24, 2009

6 STEEPLECHASE FESTIVAL RACES TOP 11-RACE SATURDAY CARD

For the first time ever, Monmouth will offer an 11-race program featuring six National Steeplechase Association events on Saturday to celebrate the debut of the Monmouth Park-Meridian Health Steeplechase Festival. A portion of the day’s proceeds will benefit the programs and medical facilities of Meridian Health.

The NSA part of the day’s program features four jump races and two flat races on the turf. Monmouth will card five races on the main track, including two divisions of the $200,000 NATC Futurity Stakes, one for fillies, and one for colts and geldings.

Wednesday, September 23 2009

MONMOUTH PARK RACING THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

The 2009 Monmouth Park meet continues through Sunday, Sept. 27, with the racetrack hosting its final four live cards this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 11:30am with first post set for 12:50pm.

For Thursday’s card there will be a $12,324 carryover into the Pick 5. The Pick 5 is offered every live race date on races five through nine and has a 50 cent base wager.

Monday, September 21 2009

WAY WITH WORDS PREVAILS IN POLITELY STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. * George L. Schwartz’s Way With Words collared pacesetter All Night Labor at the top of the stretch and gradually wore down that foe to post a length victory in the $70,000 Politely Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Trained by Mary Eppler, Way With Words stepped the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:45 2/5 and returned $5.40, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board as the favorite in the field of six older fillies and mares. All Night Labor paid $3 to place and $2.60 to show and completed the $14.60 exacta. It was another 2 ¾ lengths back to Haven’s Honey, who paid $2.80 to show.

Saturday, September 19 2009

GOOD AND LUCKY RALLIES TO WIN FORMAL GOLD STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Good and Lucky circled the entire field on the stretch turn, dug in through the stretch, and then was up in time to capture the $70,000 Formal Gold Stakes by a half-length at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

The winner, trained by Michael Matz and ridden by Joe Bravo, raced the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:43 4/5 and paid $9.20, $5 and $3 across the board as the second choice in the field of seven older horses.