ENGLEHART SETS SIGHTS ON MONMOUTH’S WEEKEND STAKES

By Tom Luicci —-

ENGLEHART SETS SIGHTS ON MONMOUTH’S WEEKEND STAKES

WITH STARTERS IN THE POLITELY AND GET SERIOUS

OCEANPORT, N.J. – When trainer Jeremiah Englehart went through the checklist he references before shipping in a horse from either Belmont Park or Laurel Park, Monmouth Park met all of his criteria for this weekend – not once, but twice.

Because of that, Englehart will be represented in both the $75,000 Politely Stakes that tops Monmouth’s 12-race card on Saturday as well as the $75,000 Get Serious Stakes that serves as the feature race on Sunday’s program.

Mrs. Ramona G. is his entrant in the Politely Stakes, a 5½-furlong dash on the turf for fillies and mares three years old and up. Square Shooter will be Englehart’s starter in the Get Serious Stakes, also at 5½ furlongs on the grass. Both horses are owned by former long-time Ocean Township resident Al Gold.

“For me, if I’m shipping in, you want to be sure you will be competitive and that you have a chance to win, of course,” said Englehart. “It’s also about timing, the distance, who else might be in the race and what your other options are. Both spots at Monmouth Park this weekend fit these horses.”

Attracting trainers like Englehart, who is coming off a career year with personal bests in terms of victories (210) and earnings (just over $7 million) in 2018, is exactly what Monmouth Park was hoping to do with its enhanced purse structure and 64 stakes races worth $7.1 million during this meet.

Englehart, who began training on his own in 2003, did not start at horse at Monmouth Park last year. He has already started one this young meet.

“Monmouth is definitely one of the tracks I’m taking more of a look at now,” he said. “It’s a reasonable drive when it comes to shipping in. So Monmouth is a place I have to pay attention to with my shippers with the good stakes races they have this year.”

Mrs. Ramona G., a 4-year-old daughter of Kantharos-Barbarella by Cutlass Fax, shows a 4-1-1 line with $198,195 in earnings from nine career starts. The Florida-bred is coming off a close-up fourth place finish in the License Fee Stakes over a yielding turf course at Belmont Park on April 28.

“I wasn’t sure about running her back in three weeks. I usually like to give her a lot of time between races,” Englehart said. “But I think this could be a good spot for her.”

Square Shooter, who will be making his second start of the year, has four wins and two seconds from 12 career starts. The Kentucky-bred gelding made his 2019 debut with a late-running sixth-place finish on April 6 in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland, where he was beaten less than four lengths in that 5½-furlong grass race.

“I thought he actually ran a sneaky-good race in the Shakertown,” said Englehart. “He got into some trouble at the sixteenth pole. But he has been doing pretty well. I think he will appreciate the distance and the course. I think he will run well in that spot.”

        MIND CONTROL WORKS FOUR FURLONGS IN :48.2

Multiple graded stakes winner Mind Control, prepping for the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard with an eye toward the July 20 TVG.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, worked four furlongs on Thursday in 48.2. He pulled up in one minute-flat for the mile.

“A really good work,” said trainer Gregg Sacco. “(Jockey) Chris DeCarlo sat like a statue. We’re right where we want to be with him.

“We’ll start tightening the screws a little bit now, with the next couple of works in company, and then we’ll be ready for the Woody Stephens.”

Sacco said that Mind Control, who broke his maiden at Monmouth Park on Aug. 12 last year before going on to win the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, has the Haskell “on his summer radar.”

“He keeps thriving. He keeps getting better and better, which is a cool thing,” said Sacco. “Most horses don’t do that. His numbers have gotten better and he has put on weight. I think he is happy to be home at Monmouth Park. He has always loved this track.”

MAXIMUM SECURITY TO SCHOOL IN PADDOCK SATURDAY

Maximum Security, disqualified from first place in the Kentucky Derby, was sent out at 6:45 a.m. to gallop Thursday in his return to the track following a week’s absence.

Trainer Jason Servis has not announced the next start for the Florida Derby winner, but the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational remains at the top of his summer plans.

Maximum Security will make an appearance for fans at Monmouth Park on Saturday when he schools in the paddock and is led around the walking ring prior to the fifth race (which has 2:40 p.m. scheduled post time). Maximum Security is expected in the paddock at approximately 2:20 p.m.

First race post for Saturday’s 12-race card 12:50 p.m.