Monmouth Park Notes

By Tom Luicci —-

SIGNATOR’S NEW-FOUND SUCCESS ON THE GRASS TO BE TESTED

OCEANPORT, N.J. – The one time that trainer Shug McGaughey attempted to try Signator on the grass early in his career the race was moved to the main track. It wasn’t until a series of “spotty” dirt performances that he decided to try again.

Two straight grass wins later, the 5-year-old son of Tapit will go for his second straight turf stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Scheduled for a mile and a sixteenth on the grass for 3 year olds and up, The Cliff Hanger drew a field of nine (with four additional main track only entrants).

“He kind of forced my hand because his dirt races were spotty,” the Hall of Fame Conditioner said of Signator. “I figured it was time to try something different with him.”

A $1.7 million purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in 2022, Signator had been inconsistent over his first 12 career starts, showing three wins but going 0-for-3 in stakes company, all while racing on the dirt.

After a 2024 season affected by what McGaughey termed “small infirmities” that saw Signator fail to hit the board in four starts, he was tried in a $100,000 optional claimer on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs on March 2 for his 5-year-old debut.

He won the race by a head, rallying from last to do so.

Signator followed that with a half-length win in the Henry S. Clark Stakes on the grass at Laurel on April 19.

“We breezed him on the turf last year at Saratoga and he was really good, but I had to back off of him because of some small infirmities,” said McGaughey, who keeps a division at Monmouth Park. “We got him back and I thought he ran a great race at Tampa. I was going to run him at Keeneland next but that race came off the grass so we went to the race at Laurel, which worked out well.

“I kind of thought grass was going to be his deal because his dirt races had been spotty. So far it has worked out.”

Though Signator has rallied from off the pace in his two grass wins, McGaughey said “he can be wherever he needs to be.”

“If they go slow he will be laying up close. If they go fast he will put himself where he needs to be,” McGaughey added.

Though Signator has two wins from three starts on off-tracks, McGaughey said the prospect of rain may cause him to re-think his plans.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’d have to look at things. Chances are if it comes off (the grass) I won’t run him. I’d like to keep him on the grass to see how good he can be there.”

The field for the 45th Cliff Hanger Stakes from the rail out: Signator, Highestdistinction, There Are No Words, Belouni, Forever Souper, Offaly Cool, Otago, He’spuregold and Fulmineo. The main track only horses are Speedyness, Otello, Hades and Surface to Air.

TICKETS FOR NYRA BETS HASKELL GO ON SALE SATURDAY;

JERSEY SHORE FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL KICKS OFF WEEKEND

Tickets for the July 19 NYRA Bets Haskell will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, which coincides with the start of the three-day Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival at Monmouth Park over the course of the Memorial Day weekend.

Haskell Day tickets will be available through seatgeek.com/monmouth, at the reserved seat booth on the second floor of the grandstand, or by calling 732-571-5563.

Thirty-two food trucks will be stationed at Monmouth Park when the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival kicks off a weekend of culinary delights and live music.

The food truck list is as follows: Angry Archie’s; Chimney Cake; Cousins Maine Lobster; Dellano’s Food Service; Del Toro Tapas; El Lechon de Negron; Empanada Beast; Enzo’s; Five Sisters; Four Boys Concessions; House of Cupcakes; Joe Smoke Bar-B-Que; Kee-O-Kee Pierogies; Kiersten’s Creations; L’Acquario Seafood Italiano; Little Siciliano; Lola’s; Ma & Pa’s Tex Mex BBQ; Magic Mike’s Smoked Meats; Mexiboys; Mozzarepas; Ohana Food Truck; Nip n Tuck; No Limits Café; Sherri’s Crab Cakes; Star of the Sea Seafood; Sweetpepper Empanadas; Taste of Napoli; Tony’s Italian Sausage; Twelve Truck; Twisted Steaks and Vampire Penguin.

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

Gates open at 11 a.m.

Soulstirs will perform “On the Green” on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., followed by All That Roxx on Sunday and Chris Morissy on Monday.

In addition, Survival at the Shore, Monmouth Park’s free online handicapping contest, gets underway on Saturday. Entrants must pick three races per day and if a selected horse hits the board in any of those races the player advances, Participants must be registered by 11 a.m. Saturday morning, doing so via challenge@survivalattheshore.com