Big Brown heads nomination list for Monmouth Stakes

Kentucky Derby and Haskell Invitational winner Big Brown tops a list of 35 nominations for the Monmouth Stakes, a mile-and-an-eighth turf test to be contested at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Big Brown will be making just his second career start on turf in the Monmouth Stakes, having broken his maiden on the grass at Saratoga in his debut on Sept. 3, 2007. Following that maiden score, a majority interest in the colt by Boundary from the Nureyev mare Mien was purchased by IEAH Stables. Big Brown races for IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr., Gary Tolchin, Andrew Cohen and Pegasus Holdings Group.

Big Brown made his second start on March 5, scoring in an off-the-turf entrylevel allowance contest at Gulfstream Park. He followed that up with a fivelength win in the Florida Derby and then his victory in the Kentucky Derby. After taking the Preakness, Big Brown's bid for the Triple Crown fell short when he was eased nearing the quarter pole in the Belmont Stakes. He bounced back from that effort with a nearly two-length score in the Haskell, Monmouth Park's signature race, on Aug. 3.

Stabled at Aqueduct, Big Brown sports a trio of workouts since his Haskell score, most recently breezing six furlongs on firm turf on Sept. 3 in 1:15 3/5.

As part of the condition of the race for the Monmouth Stakes, the $200,000 purse will increase to $500,000 should the 2008 Kentucky Derby winner (Big Brown) start in the event.

The nominations, excluding late mail, for the Monmouth Stakes are: Ballonenostrikes, Barcola, Big Brown, Call My Bluff, Distorted Reality, Dr. Rico, Drum Major, Fagedaboudit Sal, Get Serious, Hotstufanthensome, Hunting Print, Icy Atlantic, Independent George, Kiss the Kid, Little Dovefeather, Minister's Joy, Nergal, Nightscape, Operation Red Dawn, Out of Control, Pleasant Strike, Proudinsky, RJ's Brigade, Red Rocks, Ruff and Ready, Salinja, Saratoga Saint, Shake the Bank, Shakis, Silver Tree, Star Plus, VictoryAlleged, War Monger, Wesley, and Xela.

New Jersey Breeders' Handicap added to Saturday's card

A third stakes has been added to Saturday's racing program, which will be headlined by the inaugural running of the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes, featuring Big Brown.

The $60,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap, a mile-and-a-sixteenth event for statebreds, joins the Monmouth Stakes, a mile-and-an-eighth turf test, and the $60,000 Trenton Stakes, a grass sprint for 3-year-old fillies, as highlights of the card.

The N.J. Breeders' Handicap is expected to bring back several of the horses who contested the Charles Hesse III Handicap in August. They include the first three finishers in that event — Cuba, Bythebeautifulsea, and Trueamericanspirit. Others considered as possibilities are Luna, winner of the Bernie Dowd Handicap, and Meadow Blue, second in that event.

The Trenton Stakes, which will be presented at five and a half furlongs on the grass, should lure a full field of 3-year-old fillies, including some who contested the Crank It Up Stakes here on Aug. 2.

Hurdle racing returns to Monmouth on Sept. 20

For the first time in four seasons, Monmouth will present a stakes race for jumpers here on Saturday, Sept. 20.

The $75,000 Monmouth County Hunt Novice Hurdle Stakes (G2) at two and a quarter miles is for 4-year-olds and up who were non-winners over National fences before June 1, 2007. The race serves as the main prep for the Grade 1 Foxbrook Novice Hurdle Stakes at Far Hills on Oct. 18.

The stakes race was once a feature of the Monmouth County Hunt meeting held near Monmouth Park on the former estate of Amory L. Haskell.

The Saturday card also features the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival races — three stakes events for New Jerseybreds. The state-bred events are the $60,000 Eleven North Handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares; the $60,000 Lincroft Handicap at six furlongs for 3- year-olds and up, and the $60,000 Jersey Girl Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile and a sixteenth.

The chase event will only add to the excitement of that Saturday, which features a New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival Tshirt giveaway, and the annual Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off.

Power Game stays unbeaten in winning Restoration

Phipps Stable's Power Game powered past his rivals before opening up in the stretch to remain unbeaten in three lifetime starts after taking the $65,000 Restoration Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday. Trained by Claude "Shug" Mc- Gaughey, Power Game stepped the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:43 2/5 and returned $3 to win. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to runner-up Meal Penalty, who bested Pascal by another three-quarters of a length. There was no place or show wagering offered on the Restoration, which scratched down to three 3-year-olds after being transferred from the turf to the main track.

"We had a good trip and didn't have to worry about too much trouble," said winning jockey Elvis Trujillo. "Turning for home, he just really kicked it in and drew off from there. I didn't even have to ask him at all."

Power Game, a son of Dixie Union from the Mr. Prospector mare Miner's Game, broke his maiden at Monmouth on July 6 before returning to take an entry-level allowance on Aug 3. He has now earned $85,200 for his connections.

Malih Al Basti Racing Stable's Shopton Lane took control out of the gate and never looked back, taking the $70,000 Formal Gold Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, covering the mile and a sixteenth over the sloppy main track in 1:43 4/5.

Trained by Bruce Levine, the meet's top conditioner, Shopton Lane returned $2.80 and $2.10 as the odds-on choice in the field of four older horses. It was three lengths back to Indy Wind, who rallied up the inside to complete a $7.80 exacta and paid $2.40 to place. Rikman was third with Sinners N Saints fourth. There was no show wagering on the Formal Gold.

"This colt was easy to ride," said winning jockey Jose Lezcano, who tops the rider standings at Monmouth Park. "We got the early lead and he just kept on running all the way around. I didn't even really have to ask him."

Saturday's win marked the third in five starts this year for Shopton Lane, a 4- year-old colt by Quiet American from the Phone Trick mare Lightfoot Lane.

Dattt Stable's Dattts R Girl Addy gained command on the stretch turn, and then was all out at the wire to hold on for a nose victory in the $40,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The winner, trained by Mark Hennig and ridden by Joe Bravo, stepped the one mile in 1:39 2/5 over the fast main track as she outlasted Bourbon

Dattts R Girl Addy paid $5, $3.20 and $2.40 across the board. Bourbon Maid completed the $22.60 exacta and paid $3.60 to place and $2.60 to show. Betty Is Ready closed for third and paid $3.40 to show.

This was the first victory at the Monmouth meeting for Dattts R Girl Addy, a 3-year-old daughter of Vindication who broke her maiden in February at Gulfstream. She was second in her previous Monmouth start.

Live racing returns to Monmouth Park on Wednesday — first post 12:50 p.m. The 2008 racing season runs through Sunday, Sept. 28.

Chris DeCarlo expects to return riding on Sept. 17

Jockey Chris DeCarlo, who has not ridden since last November when he was injured in a spill at Calder and later underwent shoulder surgery, expects to be back at work on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Monmouth. Not coincidentally, the date marks his daughter Nina's first birthday. De- Carlo sustained a fractured left clavicle last Nov. 18 at Calder.

Doctors attempted to treat the injury without surgery over the winter. But when that approach failed, DeCarlo underwent surgery in June to repair the fracture with six screws and a titanium plate.

The 39-year-old rider has been galloping horses for the past two weeks and has been given the go-ahead by doctors to return to race riding.

In recent seasons, DeCarlo had ranked among the leading riders every year and in 2007 rode 10 stakes winners at the Monmouth meeting.