Monmouth Notes; Stakes Advances

By Tom Luicci —-

JOEVIA, WITH AN EYE TOWARD THE HASKELL INVITATIONAL,

OCEANPORT, N.J. – With his top two 3-year-old colts now off the Triple Crown trail, trainer Gregg Sacco has moved on to Plan B. And Monmouth Park will play a key role as he re-works the schedules for both Joevia and Mind Control.

It starts Sunday in the 85th edition of the Long Branch Stake, when Joevia heads the field for the $75,000 feature race on Monmouth Park’s Mother’s Day card.

If all goes well, Sacco said the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes on June 16 would likely be next for the son of Shanghai Bobby-Peace Process, followed by the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational, the track’s showcase race. The Grade 1 Haskell is set for Saturday, July 20.

Mind Control, a Grade 1 winner at 2, is slated to make his next start in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at seven furlongs on the Belmont Stakes undercard on June 8. The Haskell Invitational is on his radar as well, according to Sacco.

“We’re moving forward with both of them,” said Sacco. “Joevia has trained forwardly for the Long Branch Stakes with two good workouts at Monmouth Park so he’s doing really well. He’s a talented colt and we feel he will rebound with a strong showing.

“We would like the Long Branch to be a stepping stone to the Haskell. That’s the long-range plan. We’ll take it one race at a time. But we feel he will give a good account of himself on Sunday.”

The Long Branch Stakes, restricted to 3-year-olds, is at a mile and a sixteenth.

Joevia, who broke his maiden in the slop at Monmouth Park in his only race at 2, comes off a disappointing seventh-place showing in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 6. His previous two races this year were both solid efforts.

“His first race back this year he was second by a neck to Haikal, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby. The next race he was second to Alwaysmining, who could be one of the favorites in the Preakness Stakes,” said Sacco. “So we know he has the talent to be a good one. If he runs well on Sunday it makes sense to run back in June in the Pegasus and then go on to the Haskell. So we expect a big effort from him.”

Mind Control, who also broke his maiden at 2 at Monmouth Park, has returned in top form since his off-the-board finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his final race last year. He won the Jerome Stakes on Jan. 1, was second in the Grade 2 Gotham on March 9 and then won the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 6. All three races were at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“We thought about the Wood Memorial, Blue Grass Stakes or Arkansas Derby for Mind Control but decided not to go in any of them,” said Sacco. “We know he is a super talented horse up to a mile. We think a Grade 1 as a 3-year-old is within his grasp and the Woody Stephens looks like a good spot. John Velazquez (who has ridden Mind Control in all three of his starts this year) said he doesn’t think there is a better 3-year-old at a mile. So that went into our thought process.

“It’s hard not to go the Kentucky Derby when you have a talented 3-year-old but a lot of horses get banged up in that race and you always want to do what’s best for the horse. If all goes well in the Woody Stephens the Haskell would probably be his next race. So we’re hopeful.”

Sacco, who currently has 30 horses stabled at Monmouth Park, expects to have 45 once all of the 2-year-olds ship in. He has high hopes for a 2-year-old filly named My Gift From Above, who is a half-sister to Mind Control.

“They like her on the farm and from what I’ve seen she could be a good one,” Sacco said.

NAVARRO-TRAINED BREAKING BREAD LOOKING TO STEP UP

IN SATURDAY’S $75,000 SERENA’S SONG AT MONMOUTH PARK

Jorge Navarro’s quest for a seventh straight training title at Monmouth Park begins in earnest this weekend, with Breaking Bread the conditioner’s hope for his first stakes victory of the meet in Saturday’s $75,000 Serena’s Song Stakes.

A 6-year-old mare, Breaking Bread is 2-for-2 this year, with both victories coming at Gulfstream Park. The daughter of Quality Road-Cathy’s Cornbread was claimed for $30,000 last June by Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis.

“We saw she had potential and good pedigree and she is a good-sized filly,” said Navarro. “She came to our barn and she is what we thought she was – a nice filly. She has been training great for this race.”

Forever LiesL, trained by Michelle Nevin, looms the favorite in the one mile and 70-yard Serena’s Song, the feature race on Saturday’s 12-race card.

Navarro likes his chances with his mare, though.

“With a mare like this, we’ve had so many phone calls from people interested in her as a broodmare prospect,” he said. “So we’re going to take a chance and see if we can get her some black type. She’s a very consistent mare. I’m confident she will turn in a good effort.”

FREE ADMISSION FOR LADIES ON MOTHER’S DAY ON SUNDAY,

MILLER LITE GRANDSTAND PASSES TOP WEEKEND PROMOTIONS

Monmouth Park’s first full weekend of racing this season will offer plenty of promotional opportunities for fans, starting with free Miller Lite Grandstand Passes on Saturday, with each paying admission receiving a redemption form for one (1) free grandstand pass that is valid from May 12 through July 5.

Redemption ends following the conclusion of the seventh race on Saturday’s 12-race card. Redemption forms will be distributed at admission gates.

In addition, there will be two handicapping contests on Saturday, one a walk-up, the other an invitational.

The walk-up contest costs $250, which includes a $100 non-refundable entry fee and a $150 contest bankroll. Contestants must bet on a minimum of 10 races (there is no maximum) with at least five of those from Monmouth Park.

In addition to prize money, the top two finishers earn seats in the 2020 NTRA National Handicapping Championship.

Registration is from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For the invitational contest, contestants must register at the clubhouse registration table.

On Sunday there will be free admission for all ladies in honor of Mother’s Day, with the first 1,000 receiving carnations. There will also be a drawing for a Garden prize basket/gift card and Arianna Grande concert tickets. Entry forms must be dropped off by the end of the fifth race.

Sunday will also feature Family Fun Day, with free clowns, face painters, a bounce house and pony rides.