News & Notes - Finish Wire

             MONMOUTH PARK 2004
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May 25, 2004

Longer Meet, Higher Purses

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Monmouth Park opens its 2004 season on Saturday afternoon with an extended schedule and a record purse structure of $320,000 per day as a result of a supplement from the state's casinos.

Monmouth had been slated to run its traditional schedule, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. Under a recent agreement among all segments of the state racing industry, the Monmouth season will now run to Sept. 26.

The additional Monmouth dates had originally been allocated to The Meadowlands racetrack.

Monmouth raced into late September as an experiment last year with generally positive results.

Monmouth will continue to run into late September through 2006 under an agreement worked out among Thoroughbred and Standardbred horsemen and breeders and the racetracks. Monmouth will also tack on four additional weekend dates in May of 2005 and 2006.

Monmouth has not settled on a 2007 schedule. It hopes to host that year's Breeders' Cup and will adjust the schedule if awarded the championship races.

It took months of negotiations to conclude the comprehensive four-year pact, which covers schedules and purse distribution and ends years of fluctuating seasons and purses.

An $86 million supplement from the Atlantic City casinos will lift Monmouth purses to the highest levels in the resort track's 59-year history.

Monmouth's purses before Labor Day will rise to $325,000 daily in 2005, $330,000 in 2006 and $335,000 in 2007. Post-Labor Day purses at Monmouth will be $300,000 per day.

Monmouth paid $290,000 per day last season for the core summer meet and $260,000 in September.

The agreement will have a dramatic impact at The Meadowlands, where purses will average $300,000 for the life of the agreement. They were $190,000 last season.

The Meadowlands will run Oct. 1 to Nov. 13 under the revised schedule.

"This makes our purses more competitive, which is important in this region of the country," said Bruce Garland, the senior executive vice president of racing for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Monmouth and The Meadowlands. "It stabilizes the industry, allowing us to make definite plans and it achieves peace within the industry in New Jersey."

Dennis Drazin, legislative council for the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, praised Gov. Jim McGreevey for garnering casino support.

"He was the driving force behind $86 million that the casino industry will be pumping into our industry over the next four years," said Drazin.

The Atlantic City casinos also stand to gain under the agreement. The New Jersey tracks will not push for an expanded-gaming referendum in 2004 or 2005. That allows the casinos time to evaluate the potential impact of slot machines at racetracks in New York and possibly Pennsylvania.

The agreement will be made official next Tuesday when the sports and exhibition authority board signs it.

"Our board will sign on Tuesday an agreement with the Thoroughbred and harness horsemen and the breeders that will give us the foundation for what will be four successful years and beyond," said George Zoffinger, the president of the authority.

 
 

May 27, 2004

It's A Shore Thing

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The summer wind comes blowin' in for New Jersey racing fans Saturday afternoon when Monmouth Park reopens for its 59th season.

Monmouth gets under way at 12:55 p.m. for the first of 87 dates, with the season continuing through Sept. 26 at the Jersey Shore's resort track.

This should be an upbeat meet thanks to record purse money. A supplement from the state's casinos will enable Monmouth to offer $320,000 per day before Labor Day.

The enhanced purses helped attract 137 entries for the 12-race opening-day card, an average of more than 11 horses a race.

The money also helped lure Stewart Elliott, Smarty Jones's jockey, who will ride at Monmouth this summer.

The Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 8 is the high point of the meet. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds has traditionally attracted leading Triple Crown runners.

Other major dates include the Independence Day weekend, which features the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Handicap on July 3 and the Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 4. The Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks takes place on Aug. 15, with the Grade 3, $200,000 Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap set for Aug. 21.

Monmouth launches the season with a stakes-filled opening weekend. The Grade 3, $100,000 Red Bank Handicap tops the Saturday card, while the Grade 3, $100,000 Jersey Derby is the Monday feature.

Burning Roma will pack top weight of 120 pounds in the Red Bank at one mile on the turf. The 6-year-old Burning Roma, a winner of more than $1.4 million, has been effective throughout his career on both dirt and grass.

In his most recent outing, he finished second in the Grade 2 Maker's Mark on the turf at Keeneland.

Burning Roma tuned up for the Red Bank with a five-furlong work in 1:01 over Monmouth's main track on Monday.

He never got untracked at Monmouth last summer. Burning Roma was pointed toward last year's Red Bank, but trainer Heather Giglio backed off when the horse bled badly in a workout. His lone Monmouth appearance was a badly beaten fifth in the Oceanport Handicap, which was taken off the turf.

"The whole season, it was just one thing after another," said Giglio.

Jesus Castanon has the mount Saturday.

Other contenders in the 13-horse field include the entry of Wudantunoit and Sardaukar from owner Michael Gill; Chilly Rooster, who won the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Handicap at Aqueduct; and Spruce Run, who captured the Bob Harding Stakes here last summer.

2004 Monmouth graded stakes

 

DATE

RACE

GRADE

PURSE 

May 29

Red Bank Handicap

3

$100,000 

May 31

Jersey Derby

3

100,000 

June 26

Jersey Shore BC

3

100,000 

July 3

United Nations

1

750,000 

July 4

Molly Pitcher BC

2

300,000 

July 17

Long Branch BC

3

100,000 

July 25

Salvator Mile

3

100,000 

Aug. 8

Haskell Invitational

1

1,000,000 

Aug. 15

Monmouth Park BC Oaks

2

200,000 

Aug. 21

Iselin BC Handicap

3

200,000

Aug. 28

Sapling Stakes

3

100,000

 
 

May 27, 2004

Elliott's new summer home

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

 
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Long before Smarty Jones blazed his way to Triple Crown glory, jockey Stewart Elliott decided the time had come to move along.

 

Like many riders and trainers based at Philadelphia Park, Elliott was frustrated by the legislative failures in Pennsylvania to secure slot machines for the state's racetracks.

After due consideration with agent Ray Lopez, Elliott opted to return to Monmouth Park this summer.

"We were considering a move even before Smarty Jones won the Rebel [at Oaklawn]," said Elliott. "We were thinking about going somewhere for the summer, either here or Delaware. We decided we liked Monmouth."

Elliott has ridden at Monmouth in the past. He was fifth here in 1998 and second in 1999 before relocating to Philadelphia Park in 2000.

He had hoped to remain there.

"We've been sticking at Philadelphia, hoping they would get the slots," said Elliott. "Now that we've left, they'll probably get them."

Elliott has already made an important connection at Monmouth: Michael Gill. Elliott will ride first call for the owner, who shattered the Monmouth record with 62 wins last season.

"I think he knows me better than I know him," said Elliott of Gill. "I remember the name and I met him a long time ago in New England. I probably rode for him in New England, but haven't ridden for him recently."

Elliott is also looking to rekindle relationships with Monmouth trainers he rode for in the past, including Tim Hills, Linda Rice, Dennis Manning, and Vickie and Phil Oliver.

One might think the relocation would offer a welcome distraction in the midst of Triple Crown mania. But for Elliott, the Belmont is always on his mind.

"It's kind of a hard thing to keep your mind off," said Elliott. "You do your job and you ride the horses you have to and you focus on them at the time, but it seems as soon as you're on your way back to the jockeys' room after the race, somebody wants you to sign something with Smarty Jones on it. It's always there."

Orseno, Anderson rebuilding

Elliott isn't the only horseman returning to Monmouth this summer. Trainers Joe Orseno and Bill Anderson have both come back to New Jersey in an effort to rebuild their stables.

Orseno had a five-year run as a private trainer for Frank Stronach, including an amazing stretch in 2000 during which he won the Preakness with Red Bullet and two Breeders' Cup races: the Juvenile with Macho Uno and the Filly and Mare Turf with Perfect Sting.

When the training contract ended in December 2002, Orseno had to pick up the pieces. He tried to remain in New York but concluded Monmouth was the best place to regroup.

"I've been rebuilding my stable since last year," said Orseno. "I like winning. I did well running horses in Delaware last year, because that's where they belong. I evaluated my horses and felt that coming to Monmouth was the best chance to rebuild and get things going the way I like it.

"I may not have the top horses but I have 35 horses I think can win. I think we'll do well. I'm looking forward to having a good meet."

Orseno finished second in the 1991 Monmouth standings and won The Meadowlands title in 1996.

Instead of having one large client in Stronach, Orseno now has a number of owners - including Stronach - with a handful of horses.

"Training for Stronach was a great experience," said Orseno. "It was a great learning opportunity for me. I think we stepped up to the plate and handled it well. I'm looking forward to receiving a few more horses from him down the road."

Orseno plans to be aggressive with claims.

"I made a living for 20 years claiming horses," he said. "I'm not afraid to do it and I know how to do it. I just have to remember how to fill out a claim slip."

Orseno might bump into Anderson at the claim box.

A fixture at Monmouth for 20 years, Anderson pulled up stakes and shifted to Philadelphia Park last year. The uncertainty of the New Jersey schedule combined with prospect of higher purses if slots arrived in Pennsylvania made relocation appealing.

It was a disaster. The slots never came and Anderson had many of his horses claimed away.

"You can't buy or claim decent horses at Philadelphia Park," said Anderson. "It's hard to upgrade and get people motivated to get you horses there."

Anderson, who normally maintained a barn of 20 to 30 runners, is down to eight.

He plans to increase those numbers via claims and purchases.

"Hopefully, by the end of the meet we'll have those kind of numbers again," he said.
 

May 31, 2004

Boulmetis Retires After 30 Years

Oceanport Racing Report.com

 

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Racing Hall of Fame jockey Sam Boulmetis Sr. has retired from his steward's position after more than 30 years of service at Monmouth Park. He had been a steward at the Oceanport, New Jersey, oval since 1969 and will remain on call as a backup official. His replacement is Jimmy Edwards, who won an Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding apprentice rider in 1975.

Boulmetis, 76, won four Monmouth riding titles during the 1940s and ‘50s. "I thought it was time," Boulmetis said. "It was very enjoyable. It wasn’t like it was even work."

Edwards had worked in the Monmouth racing office the last two years.
 
June 1, 2004
BUSINESS BOOMS ON HOLIDAY WEEKEND
By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

OCEANPORT, N.J. - All the elements fell into place for a strong opening weekend at Monmouth Park.
The weather, with the exception of a rainy Monday, was spectacular. Saturday and Sunday were both picture perfect. The two days featured abundant sunshine but the temperatures rose only into the low 70's: too cool for the beach here at the Jersey Shore; ideal for the racetrack.

The racing purses, enhanced by a four-year, $86 million supplement from thestate's casinos, drew large and competitive fields.

And the fans, denied live racing since last September, came pouring in.

Monmouth drew 21,869 for Saturday's opener, a huge increase over the rain-dampened 12,167 for the 2003 opener. Sunday was strong as well with 18,104 on hand. Even soggy Monday was not a business washout as 13,304 turned out to push the weekend total to 53,277.

It was an extremely encouraging start to a meet that runs through Sept. 26.

"It was a great weekend," said Bob Kulina, vice president of Thoroughbred racing. "It was everything we expected. We expected to have good crowds. We expected the racing to be good. It's a good way to set the stage for the year."

Jason Servis supports his brother

The cell phone rings frequently every morning for Jason Servis as he tends his horses at Monmouth. More often than not, it's brother John, the trainer of Triple Crown candidate Smarty Jones, calling from Philadelphia Park.

"We talk all the time," said Jason Servis. "We talk constantly, sharing information."

They'll have a face-to-face meeting this weekend as Jason Servis heads to Belmont to stand by his brother in the quest for Triple Crown immortality.

"The good Lord willing, I'll be there," said Jason. "It would take something really bad to keep me away."

Servis was in Louisville, Ky., for the Kentucky Derby and Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes. He says that his brother has held up well under the Triple Crown stress.

"He's doing good," said Servis. "He was sick Preakness weekend with the flu, but I think he's enjoying it."

It's hard not to get caught up in the moment.

"The adrenaline is unbelievable," said Servis. "I'll be relaxing at home and a reporter will call me to talk about this. Ten minutes later, I'll be so pumped up again."

Some of the best moments in this Triple Crown experience have come away from the racetrack.

"The Derby was unbelievable," said Servis. "My wife grabbed a handful of roses from the winner's circle and we brought them home. Monday morning, it's 4:30 and I'm sitting there having my coffee before heading to the barn.
She's got the roses in a vase on the kitchen table, and it was unbelievable.I just couldn't believe my brother won a Kentucky Derby."

Elliott off to good start

Stewart Elliott, the jockey of Smarty Jones, got a warm reception on his return to Monmouth Park.

Elliott and agent Ray Lopez decided to shift from Philadelphia Park to Monmouth for the summer. The decision came before Smarty Jones began his Triple Crown quest.

Elliott picked right up where he left off the last time he rode here, in 1999, when he finished second in the Monmouth standings.

Elliott won three races Sunday, and Lopez is having no trouble drumming up Monmouth business.

"The reception has been good," said Lopez. "I notified people well in advance, and everyone was positive about our move to come back here."

The exposure of the Triple Crown has made Lopez's job easier.

"When you call out-of-town outfits, like [Bill] Mott and [Bobby} Frankel, and you say Stewart Elliott, they know exactly who you are talking about," said Lopez. "Even though he's won plenty of races in the past, now we can go
past the perimeter and make the phone calls without worrying about them saying 'Who?' "

Burning Roma to stay on turf

Trainer Heather Giglio plans to keep Burning Roma on the turf for the balance of this year, the final campaign before the 6-year-old multiple graded stakes winner heads off to retirement.

He will stand at Nelson Jones Farm and Training Center in Ocala, Fla.

Burning Roma has won stakes on turf and dirt. On Saturday, in the opening-day feature, he won the Grade 3, Red Bank Handicap on the turf.

Every win is a bonus following a frustrating 2003 campaign during which Giglio almost retired the horse.

"I had considered it, but what I did was go over this horse from head to toe," said Giglio. "The vet said he was remarkably sound. We decided to go on with him."

Giglio is considering Monmouth's Grade 3, $100,000 Oceanport Handicap on Aug. 8 for Burning Roma's next start.

Poetic Romance in allowance feature

Racing resumes Friday after a three-day break with a $43,000 filly and mare turf allowance the featured the event.

Trainer Norman Pointer thinks Poetic Romance has turned the corner.

She broke her maiden at The Meadowlands last fall and followed up with consecutive wins at Calder. A bleeding problem compromised her over the winter at Gulfstream Park.

"She's skinny and she bleeds," said Pointer. "But I think she's coming around and the bleeding is under control."

Maybe Jack still winning

Maybe Jack, a grand old gelding, keeps on rolling.

The 11-year-old won the second race Monday for his 35th win in 117 career starts.

"He's a tough old guy that loves to do his job," said trainer Eddie Broome. "This will probably be his final year. We've already got a home set up for him."

 

 

News & Notes 6/7-12

Oceanport Racing Report.com

Breeders' Cup To Monmouth

Various news organizations are confirming that the Breeders' Cup Board has authorized its management team to move ahead to negotiate a contract with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority for the 2007 edition of The Breeder's Cup. The Breeders' Cup program consists of eight races with purses totaling $14 million. It has been reported that Breeders' Cup officials toured the Oceanport racing property a month ago.  Bob Kulina, Monmouth Park general manager, was quoted in The Asbury Park Press stating, ""From an operational perspective, we have a lot to do in a relatively short period of time...We're going to have to put quite a few temporary seats up. We have rooms and nooks and crannies in this old facility that haven't been used or have been lightly used that will have to be updated with TVs and mutuels. We need to add a lot of power just for the extra dining. The big thing will be some major work on the turf course...There's just a lot of planning in the next few months and my hope would be to implement a lot of the facility changes as quickly as possible. Not only are they necessary to do the Breeders' Cup, but they're going to enhance this facility. If we're going to redo a room for Breeders' Cup, I'd like to do it now so the fans get the benefit leading up to the Breeders' Cup.""

Some improvements will need to be made as Kulina went on to say, ""It's a different kind of event than an event in the summer...We're going to have to have heated areas, mutuel tents will have to be heated. We're not going to have the luxury of counting on 80 degree weather. The temporary seats willlikely be where the picnic area is, with tents behind, so it has to be done in the two months between the end of the season and the Breeders' Cup. The way the seating company explained it to me is that it's like a small army -- or maybe a large army -- coming in. It's really a blitz. It will be incredibly labor-intensive; we will create an incredible number of jobs for labor unions...Shutting down an old building and then opening it up -- any homeowner who has a shore house knows this -- you never know what's going to happen until you turn the water on, until you turn on the electric.""

The current Monmouth Park was built in 1946 and has held large crowds in the recent past including the 53,638 on hand for last year's Haskell. Stay tuned for further information as it becomes available.

Jockey Injury

Richard Bracho was involved in a spill during the fourth race on Saturday (6/5) when his mount, Beautiful East, fell over Private Christmas after the latter clipped heels and fell while going down the backstretch.  Bracho was admitted to Monmouth Medical Center with a possible cracked vertebra. Luckily fellow jockeys Oscar Gomez and David Mello, also involved in the spill, escaped uninjured along with all three horses involved.  Dixie Shea, Bracho's agent commented that, "An expert will be here Monday morning to look at the X rays...It may be a possible cracked vertebra. Other than that, he's just bruised a little, but he's getting around okay. Once the doctors read the X rays, we'll know more."

 
June 16, 2004
STEWART ELLIOTT GETS NEW AGENT IN JOE ROSEN
Monmouth Park Press Release

 Jockey Stewart Elliott, a regular rider at the Monmouth meet who won two-thirds of the Triple Crown aboard Smarty Jones, has hired Joe Rosen as his new agent. Rosen, who also has the book of Chuck Lopez, took over Wednesday morning.

 Elliott was represented by Ray Lopez the past four years, but decided to get a new agent over the weekend.

 "It was just time for a change," Elliott said. "Ray and I did well together and I wish him all the best."

 Rosen, who has represented Chuck Lopez for 11 years, said he was thrilled at the prospect of working for two top journeymen.

 "I'm very happy to be the agent for both," Rosen said. "It's going to be a lot of work, but I have two great riders and that makes it worthwhile."

 Elliott and Lopez are currently in the top five in the Monmouth jockey standings.

 

June 20, 2004
MONMOUTH PARK SPORTING ACROSS THE BOARD GAINS
Monmouth Park Press Release

 With full fields and quality racing the order of business, Monmouth Park is posting substantial gains in attendance and handle through 15 of the 87 racing days at the 2004 meet.

 Leading the list of gains is on-track handle.  Through Saturday's card $12,485,646 has been wagered on-track on Monmouth's races, a gain of 24.1%.  Total handle on Monmouth's races is up 13.4% to $49,978,410.  In addition to the handle gains, attendance is also up double digits, 21.7% to 161,856 through June 19.

 "It's a great start and hopefully one we can build on as the meet progresses," said Robert Kulina, vice president and general manager at Monmouth Park.

 "Quality, competitive racing sells; plain and simple.  Not only are we offering a quality signal for simulcasting, but an overall entertainment destination for Shore visitors and locals alike."

 The Monmouth Park meet runs through Sept. 26 with live racing Wednesday through Sunday.  Special holiday racing will occur on Monday, July 5 and Monday, September 6.  Post time is 12:55 p.m. daily, except Aug. 8, Haskell Day, when the first race is slated for noon.

 

June 21, 2004

SMARTY JONES ON COURSE FOR HASKELL

Oceanport Racing Report.com

 

Various sources are reporting that John Servis has mapped out a tentative plan for Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness (gr. I) winner Smarty Jones that includes the Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I), Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II), Pegasus Handicap, and if all goes well the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

Smarty Jones availability for the Haskell is dependent upon how quickly the three-year-old recovers from the rigors of the Triple Crown.  Servis is quoted as saying, "Right now, those are the four races we're looking at …I really want to keep him with 3-year-olds until the Classic. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority told us they'd change the date of the Pegasus to suit our schedule."

As for Smarty Jones, Serivs stated, "He's doing super, he's just been walking under tack and is scheduled to go back to the track on Friday, which would give him 20 days of walking. If he shows us he's ready to get back, then we'll point for the Haskell. If we see that he needs more time, then we'll just go in the Pennsylvania Derby, Pegasus, and Breeders' Cup Classic (to be held at Lone Star Park in Texas)."

Smarty Jones has won eight of his nine career starts, with earnings of $7,613,155. More news of a Smarty Party at the Jersey Shore will be coming soon.

 

 

June 24, 2004

ELLIOT GETS ESPY NOMINATION

By DRF STAFF
 

Stewart Elliott, who rode Smarty Jones to victories in this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness before finishing second in the Belmont Stakes, is among four nominees for the 2004 Espy award for best jockey, ESPN has announced. Also nominated was Edgar Prado, who was aboard the Belmont winner, Birdstone, and who won the 2003 George Woolfe Award from The Jockeys' Guild.

Jerry Bailey, the Espy-winning jockey in 1996 and 1997, was nominated again this year, as was Alex Solis, who rode two winners in last year's Breeders' Cup: Pleasantly Perfect in the Classic and Johar, who dead-heated with High Chaparral in the Turf.

 
The winner will be determined by popular vote, accessible via the Internet at espn.go.com/espy2004 through July 9. The Espys will be presented July 14 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood and telecast July 18 at 9 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
 

 

June 24, 2004

MONMOUTH PARK DETERMINED TO BRING SMARTY

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

 
OCEANPORT, N.J. - It has been a good week for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority in its quest to lure Smarty Jones to its racetracks.  Trainer John Servis indicated New Jersey could have a shot at a Smarty double: the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 8 at Monmouth Park and the Pegasus Handicap on the opening weekend at The Meadowlands in early October.


"I talked to John [Servis] this morning," said Bob Kulina, vice president of the NJSEA, on Wednesday. "He will look to breeze the horse in eight to 10 days and if the horse does well, there is a strong possibility the Haskell will be on his agenda."


The Haskell would be Smarty Jones's first start since suffering the first career loss in the Belmont Stakes.

 
"If he comes and runs in the Haskell, it will be the biggest day in the history of New Jersey racing," said Kulina.


The next objective would be the Grade 2, $750,000 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 6 at Philadelphia Park, where Smarty would get a hero's reception from the hometown fans.


The longer-range goal remains the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.
Smarty Jones will probably need a race between the Pennsylvania Derby and the Breeders' Cup. Enter the Pegasus, dropped last year due to budget cuts. The Meadowlands will slot the Pegasus, at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds, on the opening weekend of the meet that starts Oct. 1. The Meadowlands Cup, a 1 1/8-miles handicap, will go the following weekend as a fallback position if Smarty can't make the Pegasus.
 

The Pegasus, which had been worth $250,000, will likely carry a bonus provision to elevate a Smarty Jones victory into the $250,000 to $500,000 range. "We have some dollars to play with and we will have a purse that warrants a champion," said Kulina.  Past history indicates the NJSEA will do everything and anything to lure Smarty Jones. "We will make this work," said Kulina. The NJSEA has gone the "extra mile" to lure top runners in the past.
 

Examples include:
* Boosting the 1987 Haskell purse to $500,000 to draw Alysheba for an epic showdown with Bet Twice and Lost Code. Bet Twice was the winner in what is widely regarded as the greatest Haskell.


* Shifting the date of the 1988 Meadowlands Cup to accommodate Alysheba when weather scrambled trainer Jack Van Berg's plans. Alysheba got the victory as a stepping-stone to a Breeders' Cup Classic win.


* Increasing the distance and purse of the 1998 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth to snare Skip Away. He won the race that was extended a sixteenth to 1 1/8 miles with the purse doubled to $500,000.


* Dropping the 1997 Meadow-lands Cup and using the money to inflate the Pegasus to $1 million to attract Touch Gold. Behrens won that night as Touch Gold finished last in the four-horse field, well beaten as the 2-5 favorite.

* Paying appearance fees to trainers to bring top contenders to the Haskell.

Holiday weekend stakes
Balto Star, last year's winner, tops the list of 27 nominees for the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes on July 3. The U.N. starts an Independence Day weekend that also features the Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap for fillies and mares on July 4.

 
Balto Star scored a stunning front-running victory last year under Jose Velez, Jr. at 37-1. The 6-year-old gelding most recently finished second by a head in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap on Feb. 22. Others considered likely to run in the 1-3/8 mile turf race include Megantic, winner of Monmouth's Battlefield Stakes earlier this month, and Rochester, second in Grade 3 races in his last two starts - the Elkhorn at Keeneland and the Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs.  Trainer Bobby Frankel nominated five: Epicentre, Gigli, King's Drama, Nothing to Lose, and Vangelis.

 
The Molly Pitcher, at 1 1/8 miles, attracted 17 nominations. Probable runners include Pocus Hocus, winner of the Monmouth Beach Stakes, and Final Round, who won the 2003 Grade 3 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.
 

Social Security heads feature
The consistent Social Security will be the one to beat in the $41,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares going six furlongs on Friday.  Trained by Joe Pierce, she has won three of her last four, working her way up from a $16,000 claiming tag to allowance winner.  She faces five rivals: Niblick, Deacon Lake, Paint it Black, Gulf of Gdansk, and Winner Takes All.
 

 

July 3-5

News & Notes

 

Arlington Million In Question

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Meteor Storm, the major disappointment in the Grade 1 United Nations on Saturday at Monmouth Park, bled during the race.

The winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan in his previous outing, he was never a factor in the U.N. He had a wide trip while racing in midpack and never kicked in with a serious late run. Meteor Storm finished seventh at 2-1, ending a three-race winning streak.

"It's basically the first time he's bled," said assistant trainer Aimee Dollase the morning after the race. "He's never done that before. It was hot and humid, and he's never run on a day like that."

Meteor Storm came out of the race in otherwise good shape.

"He's fine this morning," said Dollase. "His temperature is normal, and he ate up last night. He lives on to fight again."

Wally Dollase, Aimee's father and Meteor Storm's trainer, had listed Grade 1 Arlington Million on Aug. 14 as an objective for Meteor Storm. The trip to Chicago hinges on how well the 5-year-old bounces back.

"We'll take him home to California and see how he looks," said Aimee Dollase. "He's run hard so far this year. This was his sixth race this year."

The U.N. was the first time the Dollases had run a horse at Monmouth.

"It was a great trip," said Dollase. "The hospitality was wonderful. Everything was great, until the race. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

Compromised by course

The U.N. didn't work out for Megantic either, but his trainer, Norman Pointer, had only one complaint: the condition of the parched turf course.

"I wish the racetrack wasn't so biased," said Pointer. "The horse ran good, but nobody was making up any ground. Megantic is a come-from-behind horse, and we didn't have an opportunity."

Megantic turned in the best performance among the local horses. The winner of Monmouth's Battlefield Stakes rallied six wide entering the lane and closed well to get fourth.

"I was satisfied," said Pointer. "He tried. He ran big."

Pointer had no immediate plans for Megantic.

"I'm letting him dry out for a little while," he said.

Some stakes purses raised

The stakes got juicier for the Haskell undercard and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival.

The four overnight stakes on Haskell Day, Aug. 8 - the Teddy Drone, the Lady's Secret Stakes, the Regret Stakes, and the Ocean Place Resort Stakes - were each increased from $85,000 to $100,000.

The same increase applies to the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival on Sunday, Aug. 29, which is an all-statebred card. The original schedule called for three stakes races - the Colts Neck Handicap, Jersey Breeders' Turf Highweight, and Eleven North Handicap - for which purses have been raised from $85,000 to $100,000. Two more stakes have been added to the card, the $100,000 Jersey Girl Stakes and the $75,000 Pappa Riccio Stakes.

Backstretch picnic time

Danny Perlsweig launched the first Monmouth Backstretch Appreciation Day Picnic Day 12 years ago as a tribute to groom Charlie Butler.

For 30 years, Butler meticulously tended Perlsweig's top horses, including Lord Avie, the champion 2-year-old of 1980.

Perlsweig wanted to give something back to all backstretch workers, whose unheralded labor is integral to the sport.

"The people who take care of the horses don't get as much recognition as they should for the job they do," said Perlsweig.

The annual nonprofit, all-volunteer event returns to Monmouth's picnic area on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, is reserved as the rain date.

Over the years, the picnic has grown into a major event attended by 1,500 backstretch workers and their families. In addition to food and drink, the picnic features Jack Russell races and games for kids and adults.

Perlsweig, who paid for the first picnic out of his own pocket, has seen the event grow to a point where a large roster of sponsors contribute food, drinks, and prizes.

The Monmouth picnic proved so popular that Perlsweig now stages a similar event at Gulfstream Park.

Perlsweig, who retired from training four years ago, has one wish for future picnics.

"Keep the sponsors coming," said Perlsweig. "We need the support."

____________________________________________________

Sunday, July 4, 2004

Monmouth Park.com Press Release

STAKES PURSES HIKED FOR HASKELL DAY, JERSEY FESTIVAL DAY

Purses for the four undercard stakes on Haskell Day, Aug. 8, have been increased to $100,000, Bob Kulina, vice-president of Thoroughbred racing and general manager of Monmouth, announced today. In addition, two stakes have been added for the New Jersey-bred program on Aug. 29 and purses were increased to $100,000 for three scheduled stakes that day.

The 14-race program on Sunday, Aug. 8 will be headed by the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1). Also scheduled is the Grade 3 Oceanport Handicap. There are four ungraded stakes on the program - the Teddy Drone Stakes, the Lady's Secret Stakes, the Regret Stakes and the Ocean Place Resort Stakes. All had their purses increased from $85,000 to $100,000.

The New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival Presented by the Malouf Auto Group on Sunday, August 29, features an all-statebred card. The original schedule called for three stakes races - the Colts Neck Handicap, Jersey Breeders' Turf Highweight and Eleven North Handicap - for which purses have been raised from $85,000 to $100,000. Two more stakes have been added to the card, the $100,000 Jersey Girl Stakes and the $75,000 Pappa Riccio Stakes.

 
 

July 13, 2004

Monmouth Park
Good Loophole For Pick Four Players
By KENNY PECK, Daily Racing Form

OCEANPORT, N. J. - They're giving money away at Monmouth Park this year. Really. Due to an intriguing law on the books of the New Jersey Racing Commission, players at this track have been able to take shots at carryover pools in pick four wagers on a handful of occasions this year. In these instances, a rare "positive expectation" has been created, in that the track pays out above what the handle is on a given pool.

According to Chris McErlean, vice president and general manager of The Meadowlands Racetrack for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, rules for the pick four in this state  fall under the guidelines of what's referred to as a pick "N" wager. That covers any multi-race bet, including any pick five or pick six wagers that may be offered.

"There was no specific language for the pick four," said McErlean, who has helped implement $75,000 guaranteed pick four pools every Saturday at the current Meadowlands harness meet. "There are special rules for the pick three in place, but nothing for the pick four."

With any pick "N" wager, racetrack officials have two options. The first is to pay a "consolation payout" to holders of tickets with fewer than the maximum number of winners for the bet, in this case four, even when there are winning tickets with all four winners. This would be similar to the situation which applies to most pick six wagers across the country, when five of six winners yields a consolation even when the pick six is hit. Obviously, this wouldn't work well with the pick four, given the relatively small pools. The payouts for tickets with all four correct would be diluted to reward those players who failed to hit all four legs with token consolations.

The other option is the rule currently in place, which on days nobody picks four winners, mandates a payout of 25 percent of the net pool (after the track's 15 percent takeout) to those players with the most winners on their tickets (usually three of four), with a carryover of the remaining 75 percent to the next scheduled pick four. For the last couple of years, that was the next racing day. This year, however, Monmouth Park started offering two daily pick four bets, currently on the first four races of the day and the last four. If no one selects all four winners on the late pick four, the next card's early pick four contains the carryover pool. If the first gimmick of the day isn't hit, the carryover goes into effect for the late pick four on that same card.

Given the fact that most fans these days are not on site - and therefore not always privy to track announcements - there are a good number of simulcast players unaware there even is a carryover, an opportunity to take a shot at a surplus of cash they're not technically entitled to win. After all, it belongs to the winning bettors from the previous pick four. Since there weren't any, it's up for grabs, given away to winners of the next bet.

There have been three instances at this meet where there have been carryovers, and each time it was the early pick four that went unhit. On June 6, $7,242 was carried into the late pick four, which paid $3,738.20. Without a carryover, it would have been worth $2,289.60. On June 30, $9,775 was seeded into the late pick four, which paid $1,145.40. Sans a carryover, winning tickets would have paid $844.60. And on the July 4 card, $12,312 was carried over when no one had a perfect ticket early. Then, in the nightcap, one person collected it all - plus the entire pool of the late pick four, as the holder of the only ticket with all four winners of that bet. Total payout: $43,488.30.

 
 

July 22, 2004

Monmouth Park Haskell Lineup Coming Into Focus

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form
 

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The field has started to take shape for the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 8, the premier event of the Monmouth Park season. The track extended invitations to 24 3-year-olds, and the race office is starting to get feedback from the connections. Racing secretary Mike Dempsey expects the first three finishers in last weekend's Long Branch Stakes - Lion Heart, My Snookie's Boy, and Royal Assault - to come back for the 1 1/8-mile Haskell.  Dempsey is hopeful that Wood Memorial winner Tapit will make the race. Tapit has not started since running ninth in the Kentucky Derby.  Other possible Haskell runners include Eddington, Pollard's Vision, and the first three finishers from Hollywood Park's Swaps Stakes: Rock Hard Ten, Suave, and Boomzeeboom.
Haskell weights will be released Friday.

Nice spot for Constant Touch
Constant Touch, an improving 4-year-old filly, will face several more-experienced rivals in Monmouth's Friday feature, a $43,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares at one mile on the turf. Constant Touch should be up to the assignment, if she continues her development for trainer Vicki Oliver.  Constant Touch scored an allowance win on the opening weekend of the meet. Stewart Elliott negotiated a ground-saving trip from the rail as Constant Touch, as far back as eighth at one point, slipped through on the rail to get up by a half-length.  "She just had the perfect trip," said Elliott. "And we were able to find room." She next tackled stakes company for the first time in Monmouth's Politely and drew the outside slot in the nine-horse field. She wound up wide and finished sixth, 2 1/2 lengths behind Snowdrops. "She didn't get the same kind of trip from post 9," said Elliott. "She didn't get to save any ground, but she still ran well."

Constant Touch, who had won three in a row prior to the Politely, will try to launch a new winning streak on the drop back to allowance company.  "She always tries hard," said Elliott. "She should be tough in this spot."  While Constant Touch will be making her seventh career start, Won Jenelle is the hardened veteran in the race as she runs for the 47th time, still in search of her fourth win.  The 8-year-old Won Jenelle, in for a $45,000 claiming tag, most recently ran second for $30,000 at Monmouth on June 30 in her first start since last fall. Felix Ortiz will ride for owner-trainer Eugenio Abbruzzese.  Bitterroot River has won her last two starts in allowances at Gulfstream Park and Monmouth. The 4-year-old Bitterroot River is a stout closer who got up last time by a head at the end of a prolonged drive. Eibar Coa has the mount.
 

Salvator tops weekend stakes
The Grade 3, $100,000 Salvator Mile on Sunday tops Monmouth's weekend stakes lineup.
Possible runners include Highway Prospector, Max Forever, Presidential affair, and Roaring Fever.
 

The weekend kicks off Saturday with a pair of $60,000 stakes: the Spruce Fir for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares at one mile on the turf, and the Serena's Song for 3-year-old fillies at one mile and 70 yards.  The $55,000 Anderson Fowler at five furlongs on the turf will be the supporting stakes on Sunday.
 
 

7/25/04

Monmouth Park

Presidentialaffair Wires Salvator Mile

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form


OCEANPORT, N.J. - Presidentialaffair continued his love affair with Monmouth Park as he scored a front-running victory Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Salvator Mile.

Presidentialaffair ($6.60) improved his Monmouth record to six wins in nine starts with a one-length win over 8-5 favorite Unforgettable Max.

"He just bounces over this racetrack," said trainer Martin Ciresa. "I had an option to run him in a Pennsylvania-bred stakes but you can't knock his record here."

The race also fit into Ciresa's plan to run Presidentialaffair in Monmouth's Grade 3, $200,000 Iselin Handicap on Aug. 21.

Presidentialaffair would have to carry his speed an additional furlong in the Iselin.

"I think the longer he goes, the more his speed becomes a factor for everybody else because they have to chase him," said Ciresa. "They are not going to get in front of him."

Nobody did in the Salvator.

Stewart Elliott, who was aboard for his fourth win on the card, let Presidentialaffair set the pace in the 1:35.27 mile.

Unforgettable Max took up the chase in earnest with a quarter mile to run. He lost some momentum by drifting out in deep stretch but recovered to press the issue right to the wire.

Roaring Fever was third.

* Trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Eibar Coa were the hot combination as they teamed to win the $55,000 Anderson Fowler Stakes.

Lukas won a Monmouth stakes for a second straight day as Quick Action ($7) dictated the pace in the off-the-turf five furlong race for 3-year-olds.

Lukas captured the Serena's Song Stakes on Saturday with Susan's Angel.

No one was hotter Sunday at Monmouth than Coa who scored his fifth win of the day aboard Quick Action.

The five wins fell one shy of the Monmouth record (last achieved by Joe Bravo in 2002) and Coa's own personal best.

Little Red Rocket was second with War's Prospect third.

 

July 27, 2004

Monmouth Park

Jersey Suits Apprentice Just Fine For Now

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form


OCEANPORT, N.J. - Rajiv Maragh figured there was no point in heading to Saratoga. With one of the deepest jockey colonies in the world, Saratoga didn't figure to offer many opportunities for a seven-pound apprentice rider.

"I didn't want to go to Saratoga," Maragh said. "It's not a good place for an apprentice. You only get the leftovers with all the best jockeys there. You just don't get a chance."

Maragh, who had been riding at Belmont Park since May, decided that Monmouth Park was a better option for the remainder of the summer.

Maragh said that jockey agent Joe DiAngelo "said he could get me on some good horses. And the money is pretty good. That's what attracted me."

Maragh has three mounts on the Thursday card. His best shot looks to be Digital Delight in the third race, a maiden claimer for 2-year-old fillies.

Digital Delight has run twice in maiden special weights, and her last was a strong late-running effort to get third place. She joins Market Research, also third last time, as part of an entry sent out by trainer Joe Pierce.

Maragh's other two mounts are both trained by Dieter Held - Count on Dolly in the seventh and Clownaround in the ninth - and both raced at Colonial Downs most recently.

Maragh, 19, was born into racing in his native Jamaica. His father, Collin Maragh, was a jockey in Jamaica and now trains at Calder.

"I've got a lot of uncles who were jockeys," said Maragh. "I was around horses all my life. I always wanted to be a jockey. My dad taught we how to ride."

Maragh plans to remain in New Jersey through the fall Meadowlands meet before heading to Aqueduct for the winter.

Vazquez back after kick

Gammy Vazquez proved he could take a kick and keep on ticking.

The Monmouth-based trainer for leading owner Michael Gill, Vazquez bounced back after taking a hard blow in the winner's circle Saturday from Ticket to Freedom.

The gelding caught Vazquez with a kick to the right knee that left a gash and a horseshoe imprint, but no fracture.

The initial fear was that the blow had shattered the kneecap.

"I heard a loud crack," said Vazquez. "I was in incredible pain."

Vazquez left the track by ambulance and went to a local hospital for X-rays. He was released later that night.

He hobbled back to the track Sunday on crutches, which doctors told him will be required for two weeks. They also explained that he was lucky.

Vazquez saw the kick coming and tried to get out of the way. His leg was in motion when the hoof connected. Had Vazquez been stationary, the impact could have crushed the knee.

 
 
Friday, July 30, 2004
MY SNOOKIE'S BOY THE HOME HORSE IN HASKELL INVITATIONAL
Monmouth Park.com Press Release

My Snookie's Boy, who ran himself into the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) with a monster effort in the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes, has the distinction of being the only Haskell horse stabled on the grounds at Monmouth.

The Crafty Friend colt, owned by Preferred Pals Stable, is part of trainer Allen Iwinski's local division, and he's had two starts over the track, and gallops over it every day. But he won't have a breeze before the mile and an eighth Haskell on Aug. 8.

"He's doing great," Iwinski said. "I'm just going to gallop him up to the Haskell. He doesn't need to breeze before the race because he's fit enough right now.

"He had a pretty tough race last time, so galloping him up to the race should be enough."

My Snookie's Boy won an allowance race here by seven and a half lengths on June 27 in his first Monmouth start. In the Long Branch on July 17, he gave favored Lion Heart all he wanted before falling just a head short at the wire.

Stewart Elliott, who was aboard in the Long Branch, has the mount for the Haskell.

Lion Heart will be the starting highweight in the Haskell at 121 pounds. The son of Tale of the Cat, stabled at Saratoga with Patrick Biancone's string, got his final tune-up for the race on Friday morning, working five furlongs in :58 2/5, the fastest work of the morning. Biancone said the Kentucky Derby runner-up will gallop up to the race before shipping to Monmouth on Haskell Day.

Royal Assault, who was third in the Long Branch, is also at the Spa. The Nick Zito-trained colt also will be vanned down day of the race.

Tapit, who has not started since the Kentucky Derby on May 1, is training at Michael Dickinson's Tapeta Farm in Maryland. The gray colt is another scheduled to arrive the morning of the Haskell.

Two Haskell prospects are based in California and are scheduled to arrive the middle of next week. Rock Hard Ten, second to Smarty Jones in the Preakness and winner of the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood last out, will carry second highweight of 120 pounds.

Wimplestiltskin, third in Hollywood's Affirmed Stakes last out, is training at Del Mar with Marcelo Polanco's stable.
 
Sunday, August 1, 2004
ROCK HARD TEN TO START IN HASKELL, SHIPS IN WEDNESDAY
Monmouth Park.com Press Release

Rock Hard Ten, winner of the Swaps (G2) in his most recent outing, will make his next start in the $1 million Haskell Invitational here on Aug. 8, according to his trainer Jason Orman.

"He'll ship out on Wednesday for the flight there," said Orman, who conditions the colt for Mercedes Stables LLC and Madeline Paulson.  "I'm running a horse here (Del Mar) on Wednesday so I've got a late night flight out of here and should be there Thursday morning."

The son of Kris S. from the Mr. Prospector mare Tersa had his final work for the race on Saturday morning at Del Mar.

"He worked great, :58 and two," said Orman.  "Everything is going great with him.  He's ready to go."

Rock Hard Ten debuted on Feb. 7 of this year, breaking his maiden by just over a length at Santa Anita.  He followed that up with an allowance score by nearly two lengths on March 3 over the same course.  On April 3, he finished second in the Santa Anita Derby, beaten a head by Castledale, only to be disqualified and placed third for interference in the stretch.

That disqualification cost the colt enough earnings to earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby; however he did start in the Preakness, finishing second to Smarty Jones, and the Belmont Stakes, fifth beaten 12 lengths.

His last start was an impressive score in the Swaps Breeders' Cup at Hollywood, drawing off to nearly a four length score under Corey Nakatani, who has the return call in the Grade 1 Haskell.  This year's 37th renewal of the Haskell will mark the jockeys fourth mount in the race.  He finished fifth in 2001 with Jamaican Rum, second in 2000 with Captain Steve and sixth in 1992 aboard Binalong.

In addition to Rock Hard Ten, others considered likely for the mile and an eighth Haskell Invitational are Lion Heart from the Patrick Biancone barn; My Snookie's Boy from the Allen Iwinski camp; Wimplestiltskin, Marcelo Polanco's trainee; and Royal Assault, from team Nick Zito.

With Saturday's defection of Tapit, Zito may be enticed to start another of his charges, Pie's Prospect or Sir Shackleton in the million-dollar Haskell.

Considered possible for the race are Courageous Act, Eddington, Pollard's Vision, Tap Day and Swingforthefences.
 

Tuesday, August 3, 2004

FIVE DAYS TO 37TH HASKELL AT MONMOUTH PARK

Monmouth Park.com Press Release
 

Oceanport, N.J. - With the 37th renewal of the Grade 1 $1 million Haskell Invitational just five days away on Sunday, Aug. 8, the field continues to take shape with five horses considered definite for the race, while four others remain possible.

Those considered definite for the mile and an eighth race are:

LION HEART (trainer Patrick Biancone) - "He's training good and everything's going good.  We're looking forward to a Grade 1 performance in the Grade 1 race.  I don't think we are the lone speed and the local horse (My Snookie's Boy in the Long Branch) was in front of us the whole way until the winning post."

On Joe Bravo riding, "Everybody knows that Monmouth Park is the garden of Joe (Bravo) and I'll keep the gardener in his own garden."

MY SNOOKIE'S BOY - Worked this morning, going four furlongs in :49 breezing at Monmouth Park, 16th fastest of 39 works.

ROCK HARD TEN (trainer Jason Orman) - "He galloped this morning.  Yesterday we took him to the gate and he was perfect, so everything is set.  He leaves here on Wednesday morning and should be at Monmouth around 1:30 p.m. with his groom.  I'm flying out Wednesday night and land at Newark at 5:45 in the morning on Thursday.  I'll be at the track after that."

ROYAL ASSUALT (Tim Poole, assistant to Nick Zito) - "He's doing great right now.  He'll ship over the morning of the race, because it's just a short drive to Monmouth from here (Belmont Park).  Pat Day will ride."

WIMPLESTILTSKIN - Scheduled to be on the same plane as Rock Hard Ten and arrive at Monmouth Park 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Those still considered possible for the Haskell are Pie's Prospect, Courageous Act, Swingforthefences and Tap Day.

The Haskell will be run as the 13th of 14 races on Sunday's card with a post of 6:20 p.m.  First race post time on Haskell Day is set for noon, with gates opening at 10:30 a.m.  The Haskell will be televised live on ESPN2 from 6 - 7 p.m.

 
 
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
BURNING ROMA VS. MEGANTIC IN SUNDAY'S OCEANPORT 'CAP
Monmouth Park.com Press Release

The $1 million Haskell Invitational will be the star Sunday, but the Haskell Day undercard features six other stakes events, all carrying $100,000 purses, including the Grade 3 Oceanport Handicap and Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes.

The Oceanport, at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf, has come up particularly strong this year, as it matches Red Bank Handicap (G3) winner Burning Roma and Battlefield Stakes winner Megantic.

Burning Roma, owned by Harold Queen and trained by Heather Giglio, is a multiple stakes winner on dirt and turf. The 6-year-old son of Rubiano took the one-mile Red Bank here on May 29, and then last out shipped to Belmont where he ran sixth in the Poker Handicap (G3).

"The course was very hard and he didn't like it at all," Giglio said. "He's got tender feet and they must have been stinging him. He didn't look like himself running, and he pretty much pulled himself up. He only got beat four lengths and when he came back he wasn't even blowing."

The race didn't seem to take much out of Burning Roma, who put in a terrific work on the Monmouth main track Tuesday to show he's ready for the Oceanport.

"He really worked good," Giglio said about the five-furlong drill in a bullet 1:01. "And he came out of it really well."

Burning Roma will have a change of riders for Sunday's race. Eibar Coa, who rode the horse in Florida last year, takes over the reins again.

Runnin Horse Farm's Megantic, trained by Norman Pointer, jumped into the deep end last out when he followed his Battlefield victory with a try in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 3. The 6-year-old son of Theatrical, who was claimed by Pointer for $62,500 in March of 2003, finished fourth, beaten just two and a quarter lengths.

"He ran the race of his life in the U.N.," Pointer said. "He got the highest speed figure of his career.

"I don't think he'll bounce off that," the trainer said. "He's had enough time between races, and he's really been training well. But we'll find out for sure Sunday."

Megantic has run well in two other graded stakes this year. He finished third in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park in March, and then ran fourth after a troubled trip in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico in May.

Julian Pimentel, who has been aboard the last two trips, gets the call again Sunday.

"Pimentel rides him well," Pointer said. "This horse has to be kept covered up most of the race. If he's not, he wants to go, go, go. If the rider takes him behind horses, he settles down and rates. His best race is to pull outside late and make one big run in the stretch."
 
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
TAP DAY, PIE'S PROSPECT ADDED TO FIELD FOR $1 MILLION HASKELL
Monmouth Park.com Press Release

Tap Day and Pie's Prospect were confirmed as starters Wednesday for Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1), bringing to seven the field for the centerpiece of Monmouth's 2004 meeting.

Both Tap Day and Pie's Prospect will carry 116 pounds in the mile and an eighth Haskell. Lion Heart, second in the Kentucky Derby and winner of the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes here last out, will be starting highweight at 121 pounds, with Rock Hard Ten at 120. The other expected starters are Royal Assault, 117, My Snookie's Boy, 116, and Wimplestiltskin, 116.

Rock Hard Ten and Wimplestiltskin, both stabled at Del Mar, were due to arrive in the Monmouth stable area Wednesday afternoon after a flight from southern California.

Tap Day and My Snookie's Boy are already stabled on the Monmouth backside because trainers Mark Hennig and Allen Iwinski, respectively, maintain divisions here.

Lion Heart, Royal Assault and Pie's Prospect are all stabled at Saratoga and will van to Monmouth the morning of the race.

Edward P. Evans' Tap Day won an allowance event at Monmouth on July 2 for Hennig. Earlier in the year, he won the Dave Feldman Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Robert V. LaPenta's Pie's Prospect, one of trainer Nick Zito's two Haskell entrants with Royal Assault, was third last out in the Leonard Richards Stakes (G3) at Delaware Park, where he won the Floor Show Stakes in his previous start.
 

August 4, 2004

37TH RENEWAL OF MONMOUTH’S HASKELL INVITATIONAL (Pre-Draw Preview)

Oceanport Racing Report.com

 

Oceanport, New Jersey – With Monmouth Park’s marquee race rapidly approaching the lineup for the Grade I event is still in limbo.  For three-year-olds at this time of year the picture tends to blur as to who is still racing, who has retired, who is injured and then there are always a bunch of horses that we don’t know enough about.  The Haskell lineup is a hodgepodge of all the above as the beginning of the fall campaign begins Sunday.  For some it will be a march most likely towards Saratoga and The Travers and hopefully down the line the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but for others the result will make the connections of those not so successful in the race reevaluate just how good they are and where they need to be heading.  Lets take a look at the fact and the fiction surrounding this years Haskell:

1.  Still racing – Lion Heart is at the top of the list and will most likely be the morning line favorite for this years race.  After two second place finishes in The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness to Smarty Jones, this colt came back to Monmouth and won a hard fought victory over My Snookie’s Boy, in a bob at the wire, in The Grade III Long Branch Stakes on July 17th.  Trainer Patrick Biancone has stated that his colt was not as sharp as he could have been claiming,  "I took a little gamble with him and worked him only four times leading up to that race…I didn't want him dead-fit for the Long Branch and then have him go down in the Haskell. It was worth it, because he won by a head. If he had lost by a nose . . ."   Second is Rock Hard Ten from the barn of Jason Orman.  Rock Hard Ten posted an impressive win in his last outing, the Grade 2 Swaps Breeders' Cup Stakes at Hollywood Park. He scored a 3 3/4-length victory for his first win since an allowance score at Santa Anita on March 3. A disqualification from second to third in the Santa Anita Derby cost him the graded stakes earnings needed to make the Kentucky Derby. He ran second in the Preakness and fifth in the Belmont Stakes. Rock Hard Ten will carry 120 pounds in the Haskell, one fewer than Lion Heart in his return to Monmouth. The rest of the contenders are home track entrant My Snookie’s Boy, who gave Lion Heart all he wanted in the Long Branch, then there is California shipper, Wimplestiltskin, from the barn of Marcelo Polanco, whose presence is expected to affect the running of the 1 1/8-mile race. While Wimplestiltskin has yet to run quickly enough to suggest he can win this race, many think he is he is quick enough to pester Lion Heart in the early stages and thus deny him an easy lead. He worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds at Del Mar on Tuesday and was scheduled to arrive at Monmouth on Wednesday.

Trainer Nick Zito said that Pie's Prospect, who recently ran third in the Grade 3 Leonard Richards Stakes at Delaware Park, could join stablemate Royal Assault in the Haskell starting gate. Tap Day was confirmed as a starter by trainer Mark Hennig Wednesday joining My Snookie's Boy as the only Monmouth-based horses in the race.

Other possible runners such as Swingforthefences, and Courageous Act are still considered possible runners for event.

2.  Retired/Injured – There was probably no bigger disappointment for the Monmouth Park racing secretary's office than the decision by the connections of Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones to skip the Haskell.  Trainer John Servis was working with the colt to get him ready for the fall but thought the Haskell would be too soon as one of the connections fall goals was to have him run before his home crowd at Philadelphia Park in the Pennsylvania Derby.  The officials at Monmouth even considered moving the Pegasus from The Meadowlands to Monmouth in September to get the classic winner to run in New Jersey.  Amid all the rumors swirling around last week it was eventually announced earlier this week, by the three-year-old champions connections, that due to hoof problems the colt was being retired.  The news was truly disappointing to the racing offices of Monmouth Park, and for that matter Philadelphia Park who was bracing for large crowds at their Derby, and to the racing world at large but the colt does not owe us or his owners anything as he made more of his seven or eight starts than any other horse one could think of and he deserves a nice retirement.  The Haskell will go on without Smarty as well as without Tapit. The race lost a major contender in Tapit over the weekend (7/31-8/1), when trainer Michael Dickinson withdrew his colt from consideration after he suffered an entrapped epiglottis during a workout at Delaware Park. The Wood Memorial winner, is to undergo surgery to correct the problem, which will keep him out of the Haskell and the Travers at Saratoga.

These two losses have tempered the enthusiasm of many that follow Monmouth and the Haskell but nevertheless the Haskell usually turns out to be bigger than any one horse.  As a matter of fact horses that have run in the Triple Crown races come in and are usually bet down to the chalk, but there tends to be a sense of vulnerability in these horses as they are many times tested by a horse that the crowd has overlooked.  The Haskell will not be a walk-over for Lion Heart or Rock Hard Ten unless the speed bias gets to the point where the track cannot be somewhat fair.  With that said the Monmouth people put on a good day and the card will be the best of the year. 

Here are a few facts that one might want to know in planning their Haskell day:

* Sunday, Aug. 8.

* 14 race card

* Gates open at 10:00 a.m.

* First race post time 12:00 p.m.

* Haskell live on ESPN2 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

* Haskell post-time 6:20 p.m.

* Seven stakes races, including three graded events.

* Traditional Haskell Cap giveaway to all paid admissions.

* Great Purse Pursuit competition.

So go out to the track and enjoy the day as the usual August heat is said to be staying away this year so a comfortable day should be a welcome change from the normal steamy conditions.  Good luck at the races.

 
 

Thursday, August 5, 2004
 LION HEART, ROCK HARD TEN HEAD NINE IN SUNDAY'S HASKELL

Monmouth Park.com Press Release

 

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Three horses who chased Smarty Jones home in the Triple Crown races this spring - Lion Heart, Rock Hard Ten and Royal Assault - head a field of nine 3-year-olds in Sunday's 37th running of the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1), centerpiece of Monmouth Park's 2004 meeting.

 Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Lion Heart, who ran second in the Kentucky Derby, will carry topweight of 121 pounds as he goes from Post 4 with Monmouth's leading rider Joe Bravo in the irons. The Patrick Biancone-trained colt has been made the 9-5 morning line favorite for the mile and an eighth Haskell.

 Mercedes Stable and Madeline Paulson's Rock Hard Ten, second in the Preakness Stakes and winner of the Swaps Stakes last out, drew Post 5 and will have Corey Nakatani aboard at 120 pounds. Jason Orman trains the Kris S. colt, who is second choice at 2-1.

 Tracy Farmer's Royal Assault, who finished third in the Belmont Stakes behind stablemate Birdstone and Smarty Jones, will start from Post 3 with Pat Day to ride at 117. The Nick Zito-trained colt is listed at 6-1 in the morning line.

 Zito will also send out Robert V. LaPenta's Pies Prospect, who starts from Post 2 with Chuck Lopez in the boot at 116 pounds. The Crafty Prospector colt is 15-1 on the morning line.

 The others entered are Preferred Pals Stable's My Snookie's Boy, 116, Stewart Elliott, 8-1, Post 1; Everest Stables' Wimplestiltskin, 116, Eibar Coa, 20-1, Post 6; Edward Evans' Tap Day, 116, Jose Velez Jr., 20-1, Post 7; Edgewood Farm's Pollard's Vision, 118, also Coa, 5-1, Post 8, and Klaravich Stables' Swingforthefences, 117, Shaun Bridgmohan, 12-1, Post 9.

 Pollard's Vision, trained by Todd Pletcher, has also been entered in the West Virginia Derby to be run Saturday night at Mountaineer Park.

 Lion Heart prepped for the Haskell by winning the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes here on July 17, beating My Snookie's Boy by a head. Royal Assault finished third in that mile and a sixteenth event.

 Biancone said he was happy with Post 4, but won't dictate strategy to Bravo.

 "Joe gave him a lovely ride last time," Biancone said. "I'm the trainer, I just train the horse. I let my rider decide the tactics to employ during the race. I am lucky to have the best jockey at Monmouth Park to ride my horse."

 Orman, who arrived on the redeye from California Thursday morning, said Rock Hard Ten was coming into the Haskell in fine form.

 "He came out of the Swaps very good," Orman said. "He worked  in :58 2/5 the other day, a little fast, but he did it pretty easy. He seemed to come out of it good. It looks like he's starting to mature and he's still improving."

 Orman was pleased with starting in the middle of the pack in Post 5.

 "That's a good spot for him," the trainer said. "Corey (jockey Nakatani) can kind of figure out what the pace is going to be and put him where he needs to be from there."

 
 

August 8, 2004

Monmouth Park                    

Lion Heart, Bravo, take Haskell   

By MIKE FARRELL, Daily Racing Form

 
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Joe Bravo couldn't stop grinning as he pulled up Lion Heart after they teamed to win the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Bravo, nine times the leading rider at Monmouth, finally had a victory in the biggest race at the track he calls home.

"It was such a great feel