It’s going to be a hot and humid New Jersey summer afternoon at Monmouth Park, with temperatures predicted to be in the mid-80’s. There is a chance for a stray thunderstorm this afternoon but hopefully we’ll stay dry.
The 13-race card features four stakes, which are slotted as races 9-12. They will be the first four legs of a pick five that will conclude with a conditioned $7,500 claimer.
The stakes, in chronological order, are the $60,000 John J. Reilly for New Jersey-breds; the $75,000 Boiling Springs, a turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies; the Grade 3 Salvator Mile, and the Grade 2 Monmouth, a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes.
Force the Pass and Murad Khan have been scratched from the Monmouth, leaving a field of five.
For all of the scratches, click here.
There are three pick fours on the card, starting on races, 2, 6, and 10.
Chublicious is looking for his third straight Reilly Handicap win. He won the race the past two years for Jorge Navarro but is now trained by Louisiana-based Ron Faucheux. He will be making his first start since January and has to concede from five to 10 pounds to his five rivals.
Reversethedecision will be favored in the Boiling Springs for Chad Brown. She would have been favored in a Thursday allowance at Belmont Park but was scratched in favor of this spot.
This will be her first start against winners and she will have to overcome the outside post in the 10-horse field.
Golden Orb is coming off a freshening for Christophe Clement and may run well at a reasonable price.
If Shaft of Light and Chip Leader keep each other honest on the front end of the Salvator Mile, the race could set up for Sunny Ridge and Page McKenney. Sunny Ridge ran well in a high-level optional claimer for Jason Servis following a 10-month layoff and is strictly the horse to beat.
Money Multiplier will be seeking a repeat win in the Monmouth Stakes for Brown but is coming off a third-place finish in a $1 million race in Qatar. Yes, Qatar.
Brown also will start Projected, another top contender.
Frostmourne chased Heart to Heart in a paceless edition of the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 mile at Keeneland. He finished fifth, beaten a half-length for second, and looks to be sitting on a big effort. He could be overlooked in the wagering.