Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Thursday, July 13, 2017

By John Heims —-

GIRVIN TO MAKE NEXT START IN JULY 30 BETFAIR.COM HASKELL

With less than three weeks remaining until Monmouth Park’s marquee event, the Grade 1, $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational on July 30, another top 3-year-old has confirmed their next run will be at the Jersey Shore. Multiple graded stakes winner Girvin will head to the starting gate against another top notch field of runners in this year’s golden anniversary of the Haskell.

Girvin took home both the Grade 2 Risen Star and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in late-running fashion at the Fair Grounds on his way to a run in the Kentucky Derby earlier this year. The son of Tale of Ekati out of Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon just missed to Irap in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 24.

“He arrived at Saratoga this morning,” said trainer Joe Sharp, who conditions the horse for Brad Grady. “We’ll get a work or two into him up here prior to the Haskell and ship down a couple of days before the race. I’d like for him to get a look and feel for the track, maybe school in the paddock before the race just to get to know his surroundings.”

Girvin has already worked once since the Ohio Derby in preparation for the Haskell. The bullet came on July 9, when he went four furlongs in :47 1/5, fastest of the 22 horses that went the distance at Churchill Downs Training that day.

From six career starts, Girvin sports a record of 3-2-0 with nearly $1 million in earnings. The Kentucky bred is a winner at the mile and an eighth Haskell distance.

Along with Girvin, the likely contenders for the 50th renewal of the betfair.com Haskell Invitational include:

 Classic Empire – champion 2-year-old and winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and this year’s Arkansas Derby. Classic Empire is conditioned by Mark Casse.
 Battle of Midway – third in the Kentucky Derby, he captured the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on June 24.
 Irish War Cry- A New Jersey-bred owned by Amory L. Haskell’s daughter Isabelle de Tomaso. The H. Graham Motion trainee was runner-up in the Belmont Stakes and won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April.
 Timeline, Practical Joke – From the Chad Brown barn, Timeline is a perfect four-for-four and a winner at Monmouth after capturing the Grade 3 Pegasus last out, while Grade 1 winning Practical Joke won last year’s Champagne Stakes and last out took the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont on July 8.
 McCracken – most recent winner of the Matt Winn Stakes, this Ian Wilkes trainee is a multiple graded stakes winner.
 American Anthem – Trained by Bob Baffert, he captured the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Baffert has won a record eight Haskells.
 Hence- winner of the Grade 3 Sunland Derby on the road to his run in the Kentucky Derby. Most recently won the Grade 3 Iowa Derby on July 7.
 Impressive Edge – multiple graded stakes placed Dale Romans trainee finished third in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby and the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes.

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 with the victor earning an automatic berth to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

BETRANDA LOOKS FOR FIRST STAKES WIN IN BOILING SPRINGS

Bertranda returns to the turf for just her second start over the surface when she breaks from the outside in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $75,000 Boiling Springs Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth at Monmouth Park.

The daughter of Boys at Tosconova out of the Cape Canaveral mare Princess Maura made her turf debut last time out in the Christina Stakes at Delaware Park on June 14 where she finished strong in the stretch to get third behind graded stakes winner Journey Home. It was also her first start going around two turns.

“We decided to give her a shot on the grass last time out because of her pedigree,” said trainer James Noble. “Her mother won all of her races on the grass and she showed that she liked it with her run. She had a maintenance work the other day and has been going good coming out of the race.”

Prior to the move to the grass, Betranda was a sprinter on the dirt where she broke her maiden in her fourth career start and won an allowance optional claiming event three starts back, both at Parx. Silvestre Gonzalez was aboard for the maiden score and will get the mount Saturday for the Boiling Springs.

Owned by Stanley J. Trzcinski, Bertranda has breezed once since her run in the Christina. That work came on July 12 when she went four furlongs in :49 4/5 over the fast main track at Parx.

To notch her first career stakes victory, Bertranda will have to get by multiple starters who are coming off victories including Watch Your Six, who made her first start on the turf a winning one against allowance company for Michael Stidham, and Contributing, who is stretching out after taking a five furlong allowance event gate-to-wire on the turf at Delaware Park.

The Boiling Springs will run as race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card. Gates open at 11:30 with first post set for 12:50 p.m.

SURF & TURF SEAFOOD FESTIVAL RETURNS THIS WEEKEND AT MONMOUTH PARK

The Surf & Turf Seafood Festival returns to Monmouth Park this weekend with some of the best seafood at the Jersey Shore on Saturday and Sunday.

Patrons will be able to try delicious seafood from crab cakes to clam chowder, shrimp, flounder, lobster rolls and much more from vendors such as Red Hook Lobster, Cape May Salt Oysters, Star of the Sea Seafood, Ike’s Famous Crabcakes, Tony’s Clam Bar and many more.

The Surf & Turf Seafood Festival will also have games and activities for all ages including Family Fun Day on Sunday featuring pony rides, face painters and bounce house.

Live music will be playing “On the Green” all weekend with Nine Deez Night on Saturday and Pez Head headlining on Sunday.

Gates will open at 11:30 a.m., with first post at 12:50 p.m.