Monmouth Park Barn Notes 06-28-18

By Tom Luicci —-

MAKER HOPING FOR REPEAT FROM BIGGER PICTURE
IN SATURDAY’S GRADE 1 UNITED NATIONS STAKES

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Almost a full year later, trainer Michael Maker still has his doubts when he watches the replay of the 2017 United Nations Stakes that Bigger Picture will find a way to get through on the rail to win the Grade 1 race.
“I still wonder how he got there,” said Maker. “Let’s just say there were a few anxious moments.”
The end result was obviously worth the angst, and Maker is back to try again, sending the same two-horse entry from last year’s United Nations into Saturday’s 65th running of the race, which highlights Monmouth Park’s 13-race card.
Bigger Picture, the 10-1 upset winner of the United Nations a year ago, and stable mate Oscar Nominated, who finished seventh in that race, are part of a nine-horse field entered for the mile and three-eighths grass race that carries a $300,000 purse.
Bigger Picture comes in off a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Man O’ War Stakes at Belmont Park on May 12, though he did start the year by winning the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Stakes at Sam Houston.
The 7-year-old gelding has 11 wins (10 on the grass) from 31 career starts.
“He’s doing well,” said Maker. “His last race wasn’t up to par but he’s getting older so I don’t know if he is losing some consistency. At the same time, that was a tough field – which you expect in a Grade 1 race.”
That will be the case in the United Nations as well, with trainer Chad Brown sending out four starters in Money Multiplier, Silverwave, Kurilov and Funtastic. It’s a formidable quartet from the sport’s most accomplished grass trainer, but Maker feels Bigger Picture deserves the chance to try to repeat in the race.
“He ran so well at Monmouth last year in this race we felt it was only fair to give him a shot at it again,” sad Maker. “Thankfully, he has been very healthy. He’s a pretty straightforward horse. He generally tries and he obviously has talent.”
Kendrick Carmouche has the mount this year after Joe Bravo produced the upset victory a year ago. Bravo will instead ride Money Multiplier, who has won the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes the past two years.
Oscar Nominated was a solid second in his last start in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland on April 21, losing by three-quarters of a length to One Go All Go, who is also in the United Nations field.
A 5-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy-Devine Actress, Oscar Nominated is a Grade 3 winner with six wins and eight seconds from 26 career starts. He has banked $1,475,631.
“He’s a very consistent horse,” said Maker, who will be in Canada on Saturday to saddle three horses in the $1 million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine. “Last year in the UN he lost some ground and was a little closer to the pace than we would have liked. But we think he fits here.
“He has been such a good horse for us we’re trying to get him a Grade 1 victory. He is definitely capable of winning one.”
Post time for Saturday’s program is 12:50 p.m. In addition to the United Nations, the card features the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes, the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes and the Lady’s Secret Stakes.

SALVATOR MILE WINNER PAGE MCKENNEY TOPS FIELD
FOR SATURDAY’S GRADE 3 PHILIP H. ISELIN STAKES

Trainer Mary Eppler has stopped being surprised by Page McKenney’s accomplishments, having come to accept the tough-as-nails gelding for what he is.
“He’s just a special horse,” she said. “There’s not much else you need to say about him.”
Fresh off a victory in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on May 26, the 8-year-old Page McKenney will make his 56th career start in Saturday’s Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth.
The 83rd edition of the Iselin Stakes, which carries a purse of $100,000, has drawn a field of seven 3-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth. It’s the eighth race on the stakes-filled 13-race card.
The distance is one that Page McKenny is 11-for-15 at during his career.
“The longer the distance the better he is,” said Eppler, who has trained the son of Eavesdropper-Winning Grace for his entire career. “He came out of that last race at Monmouth Park perfect. No problems whatsoever. And he’s training like he always trains. He has been very good.”
Page McKenney will be looking to add to a career bankroll that stands at $1,870,940, thanks largely to 22 wins and 15 seconds. Remarkably, he is coming off a race in which he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
“If he is slowing down I haven’t seen a sign of it yet,” said Eppler. “He does whatever you ask of him.”
Being in a race with just one speed horse – Harlan Punch – could pose a challenge for Page McKenney, who closed stoutly to win the Salvator Mile. The presence of the Imperative is also a potential roadblock, although the Robert Hess-trained gelding has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on April 22, 2017.

DEREK RYAN HOPING FOR UPSET WITH VIVA VEGAS
IN SATURDAY’S $100,000, GRADE 3 EATONTOWN STAKES

In a field with two Chad Brown-trained fillies and a horse that defeated his last time out, trainer Derek Ryan is realistic when it comes to Viva Vegas’ chances in Saturday’s Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes.
“It’s a tough race for her,” he said. “The hope is she hits the board so we can get her some graded black type.”
The 47th running of the Eatontown Stakes, at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old-and-up, has drawn a field of eight. The $100,000 supporting stakes on the 13-race card will go as the ninth race.
“It’s not the distance that concerns me,” said Ryan. “She’s just that much short of being a good turf horse. Hopefully, she’ll surprise us. She’s training great. She’s doing great.”
Viva Vegas, a 4-year-old daughter of The Factor-Viva Vega, comes in off a second place finish in the Miss Liberty Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf on June 9 at Monmouth Park. She was beaten 1¼ lengths that race by the Michael Dickinson-trained Lift Up, who is also in the Eatontown Stakes field.
Ryan has had Viva Vegas for her past 11 starts, taking over her training duties from Bob Baffert. She shows a 3-4-0 line from 15 career starts and a 3-3-0 line from 10 lifetime grass starts.
“She’s coming off a good race, so that gives us a little reason to hope,” Ryan said. “(Jockey) Carlos Hernandez did a nice job with her last time. So who knows? Maybe he can get lucky and get his first graded stakes win with her.”
The two Brown-trained fillies offer a formidable presence, though. Dream Awhile comes off a strong third-place finish in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 5 and has only missed the board once in nine lifetime starts. Stablemate Elysea’s World won the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 10, beating Dream Awhile by a neck
In addition, trainer Shug McGaughey has the speedster Special Event set to go just nine days after a second-place finish (by a neck) in an $80,000 optional claimer at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass at Belmont Park on June 21.

$150,000 LATE PICK 5 SINGLE WINNER GUARANTEE,
$61,611 PICK 6 CARRYOVER AWAIT BETTORS SATURDAY

Handicappers have plenty to choose from during Saturday’s 13-race Monmouth Park card, with a $150,000 late Pick 5 guarantee for a single winner and a $61,611 carryover in the Jersey Shore Pick 6 up for grabs.
The late Pick 5 guarantee covers the final five races on the card, which is highlighted by the Grade 1 United Nations. The guarantee applies only if there is a single 50-cent winner.
The Pick 6 carryover will be available over the final six races. The bet costs just 20 cents.
In addition, there’s a $400 Monmouth Park-Woodbine handicapping contest consisting of win, place and show wagering. The contest is open to the public with walk-up registration on Saturday only.
The top four finishers earn a seat in the 2019 NTRA National Horseplayers Championship and the top overall finisher also earns entry into the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.
Saturday is also the Summer Racing Festival T-Shirt Giveaway, with the first 5,000 paid admission receiving T-shirts.
Following the races, there will be live entertainment at the Beer Garden at Blu Grotto from the Bobby Bandeira band and a DJ from Rock The House Entertainment.