The Bottom Line
- Running Bee (2/1) — Race 6, Oceanport Stakes, 3:36pm ET. Chad Brown ships in the one to beat in the $100,000 turf feature.
- Mya Papaya (9/5) — Race 2, 1:22pm ET. Kelly Breen’s mare looks the banker on the undercard.
- Elsie’s Smile (2/1) — Race 3, 1:54pm ET. Well spotted from the rail for Silvino Ramirez.
- Gold Light (5/2) — Race 7, 4:11pm ET. The Juan Carlos Avila barn is loaded late on the card.
Looking for Monmouth Park picks today? The Jersey Shore’s showcase track rolls out an eight-race Saturday card with first post at 12:50pm ET, and there is genuine quality at the business end thanks to the $100,000 Oceanport Stakes on the turf at 3:36pm ET.
Meeting Context
We are deep into the Haskell meet at Monmouth, and the stakes program keeps rolling with the Oceanport, a mile-and-a-sixteenth turf test that has drawn shippers from the powerful barns of Chad Brown, Graham Motion and Arnaud Delacour to take on the locals.
Typical Jersey Shore summer conditions are expected, so plan for a fast main track and firm turf, though as ever check the late scratches and surface switches before post. Four of the eight races are carded for the grass, so the turf player has plenty to work with.
It is a big Saturday across the American simulcast menu — our Saratoga picks today cover the Spa’s stakes action, and there are full previews for Delaware Park and Gulfstream Park as well.
All odds quoted are the morning line, correct at the time of writing.
Race 1 – 12:50pm ET: Claiming, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Red Sky Morning | Francisco Martinez | Michael Dini | 5/2 |
| 1 | Fully Authorized | Luis Rivera Jr. | Michael Dini | 3/1 |
| 5 | Ball of Fire | Edwin Gonzalez | Michael Simone | 7/2 |
| 3 | That Sun of a Gun | Jose Gomez | Patrick McBurney | 9/2 |
| 2 | Vesparo | Ramon Moya | Rory Huston | 6/1 |
| 4 | Thingamabob | Christian Maragh | Teresa Pompay | 8/1 |
| 8 | Bean Machine | Kendry Rivera | Panagiotis Synnefias | 10/1 |
| 7 | Transactional (GB) | Jose Ferrer | Lawrence Smith | 20/1 |
The Favourites: Michael Dini saddles both ends of the market here, with Red Sky Morning the 5/2 morning-line choice and stablemate Fully Authorized at 3/1.
The Value: That Sun of a Gun (9/2) for the local McBurney barn is the sort who can outrun his number in a race like this.
The Verdict: Red Sky Morning to give the Dini barn a fast start.
Race 2 – 1:22pm ET: Claiming, Fillies & Mares, 6 Furlongs (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Mya Papaya | Luis Rivera Jr. | Kelly Breen | 9/5 |
| 1 | Gwen to Win | Jose Ferrer | Wayne Potts | 5/2 |
| 6 | Infamy | Carlos Rojas | Jorge Delgado | 3/1 |
| 2 | Lady Khoz | Edwin Gonzalez | Derek Ryan | 7/2 |
| 3 | Sushi | Felix Vasquez Jr. | Jorge Delgado | 8/1 |
| 4 | Crimson Red | Noel Herman | Wayne Potts | 12/1 |
The Favourites: Mya Papaya (9/5) represents Haskell-winning local trainer Kelly Breen and sets the standard in a six-horse sprint, with the Potts-trained Gwen to Win (5/2) her main danger.
The Value: Jorge Delgado, perennially among the leaders at this meet, fires two bullets — Infamy (3/1) is the right one.
The Verdict: Mya Papaya is the play of the early card.
Race 3 – 1:54pm ET: Claiming, Fillies & Mares, 6 Furlongs (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Elsie’s Smile | Charlie Marquez | Silvino Ramirez | 2/1 |
| 2 | Carats Forever | Christian Maragh | Eddie Owens Jr. | 5/2 |
| 5 | Pat’schromecompass | Jose Gomez | Patrick McBurney | 3/1 |
| 6 | Shadyside | Luis Rivera Jr. | Rob Atras | 7/2 |
| 3 | She’s a Bombshell | Chantal Sutherland | Anthony Margotta Jr. | 5/1 |
| 1 | Lookingfortreasure | Noel Herman | Pompeyo Gomez | 12/1 |
The Favourites: Elsie’s Smile (2/1) gets first run on this field under Charlie Marquez, with Carats Forever (5/2) the obvious threat.
The Value: Shadyside (7/2) for the Rob Atras barn is interesting if the pace collapses up front.
The Verdict: Elsie’s Smile completes an early one-two punch for the shorter-priced runners.
Race 4 – 2:27pm ET: Claiming, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Board of Directors | Jose Gomez | Chad Brown | 4/1 |
| 3 | Khetam | Francisco Martinez | Michael Dini | 9/2 |
| 9 | Redemption Speight | Luis Rivera Jr. | Teresa Pompay | 9/2 |
| 12 | Elko County | Chantal Sutherland | Jorge Delgado | 9/2 |
| 1 | Roscommon | Christopher Elliott | Derek Ryan | 5/1 |
| 2 | Three Percent | Charlie Marquez | Kathleen Demasi | 6/1 |
| 6 | Kauai Breeze | Edwin Gonzalez | Lindsay Schultz | 6/1 |
| 8 | Two Dollar Bill | Noel Herman | Juan Carlos Avila | 10/1 |
| 10 | Mungo | Chantal Sutherland | Renaldo Richards | 10/1 |
Plus three others in a full field of twelve.
The Favourites: The eye-catcher is Board of Directors (4/1) — it is not every day Chad Brown drops one into a Monmouth claimer, and the intent is obvious.
The Value: Redemption Speight (9/2) and Khetam (9/2) both fit, and this wide-open heat is the spot for exacta players to spread.
The Verdict: Board of Directors — follow the class angle.
Race 5 – 3:01pm ET: Maiden Special Weight, 2yo Fillies, 5 1/2 Furlongs (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Life Is Legacy | Edwin Gonzalez | Juan Carlos Avila | 5/2 |
| 4 | Fun Toph Fun | Jose Ferrer | Juan Carlos Avila | 7/2 |
| 3 | Heirnol | Jose Gomez | Teresa Pompay | 9/2 |
| 6 | Prolific | Jorge Ruiz | Jorge Delgado | 6/1 |
| 7 | Newhope | Melissa Iorio | Lindsay Schultz | 8/1 |
| 1 | She’s a Gray | Kendry Rivera | Jose H. Delgado | 10/1 |
| 9 | Space for Grace | Francisco Martinez | Michael Dini | 10/1 |
| 10 | Kelly’s Hardheaded | Pedro Cotto Jr. | Kathleen O’Connell | 10/1 |
Plus two others complete the ten-strong field of juvenile fillies.
The Favourites: A $41,000 maiden special weight for the babies, and Juan Carlos Avila holds a strong hand with Life Is Legacy (5/2) and Fun Toph Fun (7/2).
The Value: Prolific (6/1) for the red-hot Delgado barn is the sort of first-time starter who can spring a surprise at a price.
The Verdict: Life Is Legacy, but juvenile dashes demand respect for the unknown — keep stakes sensible.
Race 6 – 3:36pm ET: The Oceanport Stakes, $100,000, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Running Bee | Edwin Gonzalez | Chad Brown | 2/1 |
| 5 | Cruise the Nile | Jorge Ruiz | H. Graham Motion | 5/2 |
| 2 | Neat | Reylu Gutierrez | Rob Atras | 7/2 |
| 3 | Air Recruit | Charlie Marquez | Arnaud Delacour | 7/2 |
| 8 | Cadet Corps | Luis Rivera Jr. | Kelly Breen | 7/2 |
| 1 | There Are No Words | TBA | Chuck Spina | 8/1 |
| 9 | Sergeant Capps | Edwin Gonzalez | Panagiotis Synnefias | 8/1 |
| 7 | Bonus Move | Christopher Elliott | Mark Hennig | 10/1 |
| 4 | Versus | Luis Rivera Jr. | Kelly Breen | 15/1 |
The Favourites: The feature of the afternoon, and it is a proper turf-barn shootout. Running Bee (2/1) carries the famous Chad Brown turf stamp, while Cruise the Nile (5/2) gives Graham Motion — a man who wins these Monmouth grass stakes for fun — a live one at the second call. Note that morning-line third choice There Are No Words was still without a listed rider at entry time, so check he stands his ground.
The Value: Air Recruit (7/2) for Arnaud Delacour looks the each-way-style alternative for exotic players, and local hope Cadet Corps (7/2) gives Kelly Breen home-track ammunition.
The Verdict: Running Bee — when Chad Brown ships to the Shore for a $100,000 turf pot, he means business. Use Air Recruit underneath in the exacta.
Race 7 – 4:11pm ET: Claiming, 1 Mile 70 Yards (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Gold Light | Edwin Gonzalez | Juan Carlos Avila | 5/2 |
| 1 | Noble Heritage | Chantal Sutherland | Jorge Delgado | 3/1 |
| 4 | Prodigious | Christopher Elliott | Kathleen O’Connell | 9/2 |
| 6 | Mentor | Luis Rivera Jr. | Kelly Breen | 6/1 |
| 9 | Fratellone | Charlie Marquez | Juan Carlos Avila | 6/1 |
| 2 | Captain Oats | Jose Gomez | Luis Rivera Jr. | 8/1 |
| 3 | Housebuster Dude | Jose Ferrer | Felix Flores-Coba | 12/1 |
| 7 | My Military Hero | Jean Aguilar | Miguel Penaloza | 15/1 |
Plus one other in a field of nine.
The Favourites: The richest claimer on the card at $23,000, and Avila again saddles two, with Gold Light (5/2) the pick of the pair over Fratellone (6/1). Noble Heritage (3/1) keeps Delgado in the argument.
The Value: Prodigious (9/2) for Kathleen O’Connell can hit the board at a workable number.
The Verdict: Gold Light to cash for the Avila barn.
Race 8 – 4:45pm ET: Claiming, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Fidelightcayut | Edwin Gonzalez | Juan Carlos Avila | 2/1 |
| 5 | Roscoe Pine | Jose Ferrer | Alberto Plaza | 3/1 |
| 6 | Ruse | Jorge Ruiz | Michael Simone | 3/1 |
| 11 | Denying | Jose Ferrer | Wayne Potts | 7/2 |
| 10 | Brave Bear | Noel Herman | Joseph Pantaleo | 4/1 |
| 4 | Magical Marriage | Charlie Marquez | Patrick McBurney | 9/2 |
| 12 | Confabulation | Luis Rivera Jr. | Wayne Potts | 9/2 |
| 8 | Peruvian Lucky | Jose Gomez | Cesar Alcala | 10/1 |
| 9 | Giant James | Chantal Sutherland | Holly Harris | 10/1 |
Plus three others in the twelve-horse finale.
The Favourites: A competitive getaway race on the grass. Fidelightcayut (2/1) chases an Avila late double, with Roscoe Pine and Ruse both 3/1.
The Value: Brave Bear (4/1) and the Potts pair Denying and Confabulation make this a lovely trifecta puzzle to close the day.
The Verdict: Fidelightcayut, but back him up with Brave Bear in the exotics.
Accumulator
Our four-leg parlay from the Shore: Mya Papaya (1:22pm, 9/5), Elsie’s Smile (1:54pm, 2/1), Running Bee (3:36pm, 2/1) and Gold Light (4:11pm, 5/2). At the morning line that pays around 87/1 — a small stake goes a long way if the favourites hold sway at Monmouth today.
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