Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017

By John Heims —-

PADDYS DAY HEADLINES GRADE 1 ARABIAN RACE AT MONMOUTH THIS MONDAY

For the first time in Monmouth Park’s storied history, Arabian horse racing arrives in Oceanport for the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival with two races on the Labor Day card.
The headline of the festival will be the Grade 1 Shk Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan Cup, the third leg (Diamond) of the Triple Jewel Series, featuring one of the most successful horses in American Arabian racing history.
Paddys Day, a 6-year-old son of Burning Sand out of the Virgule Al Maury mare Ak Loretta, has hit the board in 28 of his 32 career starts, with 21 of those being trips to the winner’s circle, earning $455,286. He comes out of the Grade 1 Delaware Classic Handicap at Delaware Park on Aug. 19 where he finished strong on the rail, but fell a half-length short behind Easter Man.
“He came out of the last race super,” said trainer Scott Powell. “It doesn’t matter to him how far or short he goes, he’s a very patient horse and runs his race. I don’t think many other horses are putting in the miles that he has in his career and he continues to get better and better as he gets older. It’s been a fun ride for us.”
Owned by Quarter Moon Ranch LLC, Paddys Day is a multiple Grade 1 winner and has not finished worse than second in the United States in over a year. The only two times he has failed to hit the board in the past 12 months was in Dubai where he finished fifth and eighth in his starts in the United Arab Emirates.
He has worked twice since his run two weeks ago. The latest was a four furlong breeze in :53 over a fast main track at Delaware Park on Sept. 1. Keiber Coa, who has been aboard for a Grade 1 win, will get the mount on Monday.
The only other graded stakes winner in the Grade 1 event looking to best Paddys Day will be Sand Victor. He took home two Grade 2 events defeating Paddys Day in both of them. The last time these two met, Paddys Day got his revenge with a two and a quarter length win in the Grade 1 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Cup at Oak Tree Pleasanton.
The Shk Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan Cup will run as race 4 while the other Arabian race on the day’s program, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championships, is set as race 2.
Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone will be on-hand for an autograph/meet-and-greet session from 3-4 p.m. as an ambassador of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.
Gates will open at 11:30 a.m. for the final day of the BBQ & Craft Beer Festival and first post is scheduled for 12:50 p.m.

TRAINER NAVARRO ON PACE FOR ANOTHER RECORD-SETTING SEASON

Monmouth Park’s leading trainer for the past four seasons Jorge Navarro is on pace for another record-setting meet for wins as he nears the mark he set last year.
With a handful of live racing days left in the meet, Navarro enters the Sept. 2 card with 56 wins, three shy of his own record set in 2016. He is on pace to capture his fifth consecutive training title, which would tie Juan Serey, John Forbes and Budd Lepman for most Monmouth training titles and would tie Serey for most consecutive.
Monmouth gates open at 11:30 a.m. all weekend long with first post each day set for 12:50 p.m.

BBQ & CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL CONTINUES AT MONMOUTH LABOR DAY WEEKEND

The BBQ & Craft Beer Festival continues at Monmouth Park through Labor Day with some of the best barbeque and breweries from the area and around the country.
All day long, patrons can taste barbeque cuisine from Local Smoke BBQ, Oink and Moo BBQ, One Big Party BBQ, and Jack’s Goal Line Stand, along with local favorites Enzo’s and El Lechon de Negron and more.
Over 25 breweries will be on-hand and for just $10, guests will be able to sample 10 different beers from commemorative 2-ounce mason jars.
Along with the delicious food and beer, Monmouth Park will host Arabian horse racing, with two races on the card dedicated strictly to Arabians, including a Grade 1 event.
Gates open at 11:30 a.m. with first post scheduled for 12:50 p.m.