Monmouth Park

1st-Monmouth, $54,650, Msw, 7-22, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.94, fm, 1 1/2 lengths. STARTUP MENTALITY (IRE) (f, 3, Kingman {GB}--Fine Time {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), sourced by Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables for 300,000gns ($428,654) out of Book 1 at the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, was the only first-time starter taking on a field of more experienced maidens to open the Haskell S. day card at Monmouth Saturday. Named the 2-1 third choice, the filly broke from the far outside gate and was content to let the rest...

Not just anyone could join their club. You had to possess status, refinement, wealth and charm. Oh, and the real test was, "The ability to drive four horses with grace and skill," which translated to holding the reigns in one fist--whew, tough. Founded in 1875, New York's Coaching Club had strict guidelines for membership, which included that you could not be involved in racing of any kind. Interesting that the CC's annual parade was replaced in 1917, the same year America entered The Great War, by a race for 3-year-old...

Undefeated two-for-two GIII Southwest S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) has been made the slight 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $1-million, GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park at the expense of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), who was tabbed as the joint 3-1 second choice alongside GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit). The top three choices drew post positions eight, four, and five, respectively. "I believe the horse's entire body of work and his entire career...

Race caller and TVG analyst Larry Collmus, whose distinguished career includes a 20-year stint as Monmouth Park's track announcer, has been named the winner of the 2023 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year's GI TVG.com Haskell S. First presented in 2012, the Handleman Award honors the late Bill Handleman, one of New Jersey's top sportswriters for nearly three decades for the Asbury Park Press. Handleman, a fixture at Monmouth Park and a passionate chronicler of the sport, died in June of 2010 at the age of 62....

The connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) may have waited until the 11th hour to make their schedule known, but in the end they gave Monmouth Park the answer everyone there was hoping for. Mage will be starting in Saturday's $1-million GI Haskell S. The decision was not revealed until about 4:30 ET Thursday when trainer Gustavo Delgado, Sr. tweeted the following: "After much consideration and planning Mage's summer goal of getting to the G1 Travers; we have decided to have a prep run in the G1...

Attorney Drew Mollica understands that his client trainer Doug Nunn violated Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Rule 3313, which prohibits trainers from running a horse within 14 days of an intra-articular joint injection or working them within seven days of the injection. What he doesn't understand is why his client has been suspended while at least 15 other trainers have been let off the hook for the same violation. "This is the height of hypocrisy," Mollica said. "He has been victimized by a system that is flawed." On June...

Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) have reached an agreement in a lawsuit stemming from events during the summer of 2019 when the track temporarily barred the trainer from its grounds, according to a notice of settlement recently filed in the San Diego Superior Court. The notice included no specifics. "The terms of the settlement are to remain confidential," explained Hollendorfer's attorney, Drew Couto. DMTC president, Josh Rubinstein, confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement. "The resolution of this litigation does not reflect the...

Lady d'Oro (Catholic Boy) is freshman sire Catholic Boy's first winner with her grass victory at Monmouth Park on Sunday afternoon. The filly was 49-1 in her debut when she finished sixth over a sealed track June 16 at the New Jersey track. Still overlooked at the windows at 14-1 here, the bay filly avoided Momma Kim (Noble Mission {GB})'s fall, who stumbled up the backstretch after clipping heels with Gold Alliance (Goldencents), which also caused Bingo's Girl (Yoshida {Jpn}) to go down. Rounding the far turn, Lady d'Oro made...

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, scaling back his operations to California only, has transferred 29 of his horses at Monmouth Park to long-time assistant Dan Ward effective Saturday, according to a press release from Monmouth Park. Ward has overseen Hollendorfer's division at Monmouth Park and Oaklawn Park for the past four years. "I just want to concentrate on what I'm doing here in California," said Hollendorfer. "Dan and I have discussed for a while that he wanted a chance to go out on his own. Now seems like a...

Trainer Wesley Ward has begun serving a 15-day suspension after a horse he trained tested positive for the substances naproxen and metformin following a July 15, 2022, race at Monmouth. Ward's suspension began June 23 and ends July 7. He was also fined $2,000. The Paulick Report was first with the story. The infraction occurred in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on the turf with the gelding Insanity It Seems (Tale of the Cat), who won by 2 1/4 lengths. The horse, who is also owned by Ward, has...

It was starting to look like time had finally caught up with the old war horse Dr Blarney (Dublin). He came into an allowance race Monday at Finger Lakes having lost six straight, understandable considering the horse is 10 and made his debut in 2015 at Monmouth Park. But the pride of the Massachusetts breeding program was back on his game, winning by a length under jockey Jackie Davis. It was the ninth straight year in which he had won at least one race. "He's stayed relatively sound all these...

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:16 p.m. OXO Equine's BALTA (Munnings), a $685,000 '23 OBSMAR purchase who went :9 4/5 during the under tack show, debuts Saturday for Paulo Lobo. The 2-year-old chestnut colt's family tree includes GISW Cupid (Tapit) and is a half-brother to SW Opus Forty Two (Mendelssohn). Opposing him will be fellow firster, trained Kenny McPeek, Northern Flame (Flameaway), who brought $425,000 at the Fasig-Tipton August sale last year. Also entered is D. Wayne Lukas trainee Just Steel (Justify), who went for $500,000 at the '22...