OHIO DERBY WINNER CORE BELIEFS HEADED TO HASKELL TO TAKE ON GOOD MAGIC AND BRAVAZO ON JULY 29

By Tom Luicci —-

OCEANPORT, N.J. – As much as trainer Peter Eurton would have liked to have found a softer spot as the next start for Ohio Derby winner Core Beliefs, owner Gary Broad had other ideas. So Eurton announced today that the colt is heading East for the betfair.com Haskell Invitational on July 29 at Monmouth Park, joining a field that is headlined by Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic and Preakness runner-up Bravazo.

“My owner wants to come. He says it’s the chance of a lifetime,” said the California-based Eurton. “He wants to take on Good Magic and the rest.”

In addition to Good Magic and Bravazo, Navy Commander, Roaming Union and Reride are the other likely starters, with a couple more possible from a group that includes Lone Sailor, Mr Freeze, Promises Fulfilled and Flameaway.

The Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, which carries a $1 million purse, will be televised live on NBC-TV from 5-6 p.m.

Third in the Santa Anita Derby behind Triple Crown winner Justify, Core Beliefs was second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park on May 12 after stumbling at the start.

The son of Quality Road-Tejati then seemed to put it all together in winning the Grade 3 Ohio Derby by a nose over Lone Sailor.

“He kind of did,” said Eurton. “When he broke his maiden it was his first experience going to turns. Then his first start against winners he gets Justify. He stumbled badly in the Peter Pan and was in an elongated sprint for a mile and an eighth and got nailed. That was a really good effort. So was the Ohio Derby. He seems to be coming into is own.”

The mile and an eighth distance, Eurton said, suits his horse perfectly. His last three races have been at that distance.

“I like the distance because it gives him a chance to get into the race and to be tactical,” Eurton said.

Core Beliefs is scheduled to fly East from California on Tuesday, with Eurton joining him on race day after taking a red eye flight.

The horse will have 36 days between races.

“You don’t know what is really perfect,” said Eurton. “All you can do is go by how your horse is doing. His works up to this, especially Saturday, have been very good. That will give him eight days to recover from the work. I’m pretty confident he is going into the Haskell as good as we could possibly hope.”

Unraced at 2, Core Beliefs shows a 2-1-3 line from six career starts, with lifetime earnings of $535,360.

I AM THE MAN SLOSHES TO THREE-LENGTH VICTORY
IN MONMOUTH PARK’S FEATURED SUNDAY ALLOWANCE

Main track only entrant I Am The Man took full advantage of a sloppy track and a field reduced by scratches to roll to a three-length victory on Sunday in the featured $50,000 optional claiming allowance at Monmouth Park.

Sent off as the heavy favorite in the reduced field of four, the Juan Serey-trained gelding used a stalking trip before pulling away in mid-stretch in the 5½-furlong race restricted to Jersey-breds.
Originally scheduled for the turf, the race saw six scratches – four when the race was taken off the turf and two more at the gate.

The victory was the fourth in 14 career starts for the 6-year-old son of Meadow Monster-Rodeo Drive. He has two wins and two seconds in four starts this year.

“We were hoping for rain. This horse loves the slop,” said Serey.

Ridden by Luis Fuentes, I Am The Man returned $3.20 to win and covered the distance over the sloppy track in 1:04.57. Jersey Joe B was second. It was another 4½ lengths back to Gadget Man in third.

PICK 6 CARRYOVER AT $157,081 FOR FRIDAY’S CARD

Handicappers will have a Jersey Shore Pick 6 carryover of $157,081 to aim for during Monmouth Park’s eight-race card on Friday after the 20-cent wager failed to produce a single winning ticket for the entire pool on Sunday.

One ticket was alive to 61-1 shot Sahara Goal in the 10th and final race to collect the entire jackpot on Sunday, but the gelding finished sixth in the seven-horse field.

The return for correctly picking six winners was $51.76 for 20 cents, with the sequence starting with Abaco Dream ($3.20) in the 5th race, followed by Gata’s Applause ($24.20) in the 6th race, Notacatbutacard ($3.40) in the 7th race, Indian Chaser ($5.00) in the 8th race, I Am The Man ($3.20) in the 9th race and Yay You ($4.40) in the 10th race.

First race post for Friday’s card is 1:15 p.m. to kick off betfair.com Haskell Invitational weekend. The Jersey Shore Pick 6 starts in the third race on Friday.