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2020 Renewals of the Smart N Fancy, Eatontown Officially Downgraded

The American Graded Stakes Committee has ruled that the Aug. 27 Smart N Fancy S. at Saratoga and Monmouth Park’s GIII Eatontown S., contested Aug. 29, will remain downgraded for 2020 after both events were taken off the turf and moved to the main tracks last week. The Smart N Fancy was automatically downgraded to a non-listed black-type, while the Eatontown became a listed race after its removal from the turf.

All races that are originally scheduled for the turf but subsequently moved to the dirt are automatically downgraded, however, they are subject to the committee’s review which determines whether the races in question will reinstated to their original rating.

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Ketner Sweeps NJ Thoroughbred Festival Card

Dr. Mark Ketner was celebrating a rare feat at the conclusion of Monmouth’s New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival Sunday–the Colts Neck-based vet foaled all 10 winners on the card.

“It was pretty crazy,” Ketner said. “We have kind of an unusual practice. I have a farm practice with a racetrack practice based here in Monmouth County. Most of the Jersey-breds are foaled here in Monmouth County, and we’ve just been lucky enough to have some of the same farms for many years–they’re all good farms and they’re all right here.”

Highlights of the card included Prendimi (Dance With Ravens)’s head victory over favorite Golden Brown (Offlee Wild) in the Charles Hesse III H. for older males around two turns; heavy favorite Liz’s Cable Girl (Cable Boy)’s seventh win at Monmouth and second in the Eleven North H. to increase the 6-year-old mares earnings to more than $500,000; and in-form Royal Urn (Kantharos)’s runaway victory in the New Jersey Breeders H. for sprinters.

“I’m just very fortunate to have good associates who help at the farms,” said Ketner, who also noted that he foaled two runners-up on the card as well. “With some of them, we’ve actually had the stallions, and some of them we’ve bred, and foaled and then worked on them all the way through their racing career. In some cases, even after they’re done racing. It’s a neat little niche.”

Five-year-old Prendimi’s dam Cigno d’Oro (Tour d’Or) completed a double of her own, as her 3-year-old son Our Man Luke (Redeemed) broke his maiden one race after the Hesse. Both horses were bred and owned by Jon Coles’s GJ Stable and trained by Luis Carvajal, Jr., who also saddled Don’s Marsh (Don Six) to an optional claiming victory two races later. Coles and Carvajal campaigned Cigno d’Oro to seven career wins and earnings of more than $372,000.

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Pricey Valiance Handles Switch From Turf To Slop, Wins Eatontown At Monmouth

Valiance added another dimension to an impressive start to her career, drawing away in mid-stretch over a sloppy track to win Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the $650,000 yearling purchase entered the Eatontown with four wins from six career starts, with five of those races on the grass. She raced once on the dirt but never over a sloppy track.

“I thought she ran great,” said Pletcher. “It definitely seemed like she improved in her training on the dirt so we weren't concerned when it came off. It looks like she handled it really nicely. He (jockey Nik Juarez) rode her very confidently.”

The Eatontown Stakes, originally scheduled for a mile and a sixteenth on grass, was switched to the main track because of early morning rain.

“I wasn't worried about the sloppy track with her,” said Juarez. “I got to ride a race on the dirt with her at Gulfstream. Todd had her in a stakes race in Florida (the Powder Break Stakes on May16) and it came off the grass and she ran on the dirt that day. So I was happy she had a dirt race under her because all of her other starts have been on the grass. I was really confident today.”

Juarez was able to sit tucked in behind dueling leaders Valedictorian and Gotham Gala in the reduced field of five through fractions of :23.85 to the opening quarter, :47.68 to the half mile and 1:12.60 to six furlongs.

Midway through the final turn he nudged Valiance to the outside and she immediately drew even with Gotham Gala, with Valedictorian starting to retreat. Gotham Gala tried gamely to stay with Valiance, but Juarez had plenty in reserve, winning by a widening 1 1/2 lengths. It was another 15 1/4 lengths back in third to Valedictorian.

Final time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:44.25.

“We had a perfect trip, sitting right behind the speed,” said Juarez. “When we turned for home I was able to tip her out and she was much the best. She just ran away from them. I knew Valedictorian would go out for the lead. So I just wanted to wait with her and let her settle and we were able to do just that.”

Valiance, a daughter of Tapit, paid $3.80 to win as the favorite. The 4-year-old filly, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz and CHC Inc., started her career 3-for-3 as a 3-year-old, with two of those victories on the turf at Monmouth Park. She is now 5-for-7 lifetime.

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‘Jersey Racing’ At The Forefront For Trainer Pat McBurney This Sunday At Monmouth

Though trainer Pat McBurney estimates that only “30 percent or so” of his barn consists of Jersey-breds that group of horses will have 100 percent of his attention on Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Of the 10 races scheduled for the 18th New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival on Sunday – with $743,125 up for grabs in purse money for state-bred runners – McBurney has nine horses entered in seven races, including defending champion Golden Brown in the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap.

The all Jersey-bred card also features the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap and the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap.

“I have three or four clients who have Jersey-breds, so this is always a big day for them and the barn,” said McBurney.

Golden Brown, coming off a 2¼-length victory in the Irish War Cry Stakes on July 25 at Monmouth, will be the prohibitive favorite against five rivals (including the McBurney-trained Ashley's Hope) in the Charles Hesse III Handicap at a mile and a sixteenth on the dirt. The 5-year-old son of Offlee Wild has won eight of 22 career starts, capturing three state-bred stakes races at Monmouth a year ago.

“I think against Jersey-breds going long on the dirt, with Sunny Ridge on the sidelines, he is at the top of the heap,” McBurney said. “His starts have been spaced out a little more than usual but I thought we'd take advantage of more Jersey racing with him this year.”

The start will be Golden Brown's third of the year after he made his seasonal debut in the John J. Reilly Stakes at six furlongs on July 5, finishing third. Had the Monmouth meet started as originally scheduled on May 2 he would have been ready then, McBurney said. COVID-19 forced Monmouth's opener to be pushed back to July 3.

“He's not a great `doing' horse and he is tough to get along with, so I kept him in New Jersey all year,” said McBurney. “He was up and training in February and was ready for the (original) start of the meet. We ran him in that Jersey-bred sprint but that's not really his distance. But he was ready to race.”

McBurney, who says he has never started nine horses on a card before, is optimistic he will have a good day.

“To me, looking at the races, I expect Golden Brown to win. I expect Crafty Don and Amazing Cat (both entered in an allowance optional claimer) to turn in the next-best performances,” he said. “Jingo (who goes in the second race) disappointed in his first race back last start but (jockey) Paco Lopez said he kind of got away from him the first quarter mile and ran himself into the ground. So we're looking for a good race from him.”

“Three wins (on the day) would be fantastic. I'm hoping for at least two.”

McBurney will also send out Powergirl in the first race, Lucky Jaime in the third, first-time starter Wild Czar in the sixth and Holy Guacamole in the 10th.

Overall, McBurney is having another solid Monmouth Park meet, with eight winners from 53 starters entering the weekend.

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