MONMOUTH: FRENCH-BRED SNOWDAY TAKES SATURDAY’S MY FRENCHMAN STAKES

By John Heims —-

FRENCH-BRED SNOWDAY TAKES SATURDAY’S MY FRENCHMAN STAKES

Oceanport, NJ – Quiet Winter Farm’s Snowday took the lead soon after the start and never looked back, taking the $60,000 My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday afternoon by nearly three lengths.

Trained by J. Willard Thompson, Snowday went the 5 ½ furlongs over firm turf in 1:02.27 and paid $17, $7.40 and $6.20 in the field of nine colts and geldings. Simon Bar Sinister rallied to complete the $90 exacta and paid $6 and $4.20. It was another two lengths back to Black Jet, who paid $12.40 to show.

“Willard had this one really sharp today,” said winning jockey Jose Ferrer, who booted home three winners on the card. “He broke well and was able to relax on the lead. At the quarter pole I said it was time to go and he took off.”

Bred in France by Wertheimer Et Frere, Snowday is a 7-year-old gelding by Falco from the Forest Wildcat mare Oceanique. He sports a record of 5-9-4 from 32 lifetime starts.

HENCE WILL LOOK TO ADD TO ASMUSSEN’S HASKELL SUCCESS

Hence will go for back-to-back graded stakes wins and look to give trainer Steve Asmussen his second victory in the Grade 1, $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational on July 30, the 50th renewal of Monmouth Park’s marquee event.

The 3-year-old colt by Street Boss sat last along the backstretch before storming home on the outside to score a length and a half victory in his latest outing, the Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 7.

Hence broke his maiden in his fourth career start earlier in the year over a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park before grabbing his first win in a graded stakes in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

He ran in two of the three Triple Crown races this spring, finishing 11th in the Derby and 9th in the Preakness.

Owned by Calumet Farm, the son of the A.P. Indy mare Floating Island has worked once in preparation for the Haskell. That breeze came at Churchill Downs on July 17 when he went four furlongs in :51 2/5 over a fast main track.

“He came out of the race in great shape,” said Asmussen, who won the Haskell in 2009 with Rachael Alexandra. “He’s always been in good physical shape. We’ll get one more light half mile in him before shipping up to Monmouth, most likely Thursday.”

Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park’s leading rider for the last four seasons, will be aboard Hence for the first time next Sunday.

For Hence to be crowned Haskell champion, he will have to get by a competitive field that will line up with him in the gate on July 30. New Jersey-bred Irish War Cry is coming off a second place finish in the Belmont Stakes and won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April and third place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, Battle of Midway, won the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes last time out at Santa Anita.

Other horses making the mile and an eighth Haskell their next start include Louisiana Derby winner Girvin; Matt Winn winner McCraken; and, Chad Brown’s duo of undefeated Timeline and multiple grade 1 winner Practical Joke, both entering off Grade 3 victories.

The Haskell Invitational will air live on NBC from 5 to 6 p.m. Admission that day is $8 Grandstand ($4 seniors) and $10 Clubhouse ($5 seniors). Select reserved seats remain and can be purchased by contacting 732-571-5563. All paid admissions will receive the commemorative Haskell hat, while supplies last.

The betfair.com Haskell Invitational is a Breeders’ Cup Win & You’re In event, which covers the $150,000 fee to race in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

BLUE Y GOLD BACK TO THE DIRT IN SUNDAY’S FEATURE

Blue Y Gold moves back to his preferred surface as he looks for his first win of the season when he breaks from the rail in a field of five in Sunday’s $42,000 allowance optional claiming feature, going six furlongs at Monmouth Park.

The 7-year-old gelding by Mutakddim was last seen on the Monmouth grass when he finished seventh behind stakes victor Pool Winner in an allowance optional claiming event on June 23.

His first two starts of the year came over a sloppy main track at Monmouth Park where he finished in the money against two graded stakes winners, Rainbow Heir and Always Sunshine.

“I think he likes the dirt more than the grass,” said trainer J Willard Thompson. “He’s been doing good coming out of the race. He’ll probably sit back and make one good run and hopefully it’s a successful one.”

The son of the Luhuk mare Bromita capped off his 2016 campaign with his most recent win, using his usual late kick to go by allowance optional claiming opponents mid-stretch and scoring the length and a quarter victory over a muddy main track at Parx.

Owned by Quiet Winter Farm, Blue Y Gold has worked once in his lead up to Sunday. That breeze came on July 16 when he went three furlongs in :35 4/5, third fastest of the 20 who went the distance that morning.

For Blue Y Gold to get back to the winner’s circle, he will have to take down the two likely favorites out of Jorge Navarro’s barn. He’s Got Talent (9/5) looks for consecutive wins after besting allowance optional claiming company at Penn National and Fire Mission (2/1) is a stakes winner this year, taking home the Trust Buster Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February.

Sunday’s feature will go as race 9 on the day’s 10-race program Gates open at 11:30 a.m. with first post at 12:50 p.m.