Elite Summer Meet Continues at Monmouth Park

After a very successful opening weekend, Monmouth Park’s Elite Summer Meet is back in action this holiday weekend, running Saturday through Monday.

$50 million in purses over the first 50 days of the meeting has attracted horsemen from throughout the country, with overflowing fields last weekend leading to huge increases in handle at the New Jersey track.

It is more of the same for Saturday, with 129 horses entered on the 12 race card, assuring horseplayers plenty of solid wagering action.

Two stakes races share the spotlight on Saturday’s card, the $100,000 Lamplighter for three year olds going 1 1/16 miles on the turf, and the $100,000 John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey breds, three year olds and upward going six furlongs on the main track.

The Lamplighter features an evenly matched group of seven three year olds, led by the two time turf stakes winner Thunder Brew, the 5/2 morning line favorite.

The colt came up short late last out in the James Murphy last out at Pimlico on Preakness Day. The colt earned a career best two back when he won the Florida bred Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs on April 3.

Back the Eight will be saddled by Tony Dutrow and will be making his turf debut. The colt won the Federico Tesio Stakes in his last start going nine furlongs on the main track at Pimlico.

The John J. Reilly Handicap drew a field of 13 sprinters, led by Joey P., a 13 time winner over the Monmouth Park main track.

The gelding won the Reilly in ’06, ’08, and ’09.

One of the most popular horse to run on the Jersey Shore, the Ben Perkins trainee lost all chance last out at Charles Town in the Webb Snyder when he broke poorly in the 4 ½ furlong sprint.

The eight year old appears to have lost a step or two from his younger days, but he still earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure last year winning this race by 8 ¼ lengths.

An intriguing runner in the race is Together Indy, who is dropping out of a trio of graded stakes and returning to the New Jersey bred ranks.

The colt’s last two starts on conventional dirt both came here at Monmouth Park and produced his two best career numbers, both victories, although against easier company than he faces here.

The 12 race card today at Monmouth Park is once again the most attractive betting card among the major tracks this afternoon. Racing will continue on the Jersey Shore on Sunday and Monday.

Here is a look at the two stakes on the card:

Monmouth Park Race 9 The Lamplighter Post time (4:50 ET)
#2 Lethal Combination 3/1
#1 Bank the Eight 4/1
#4 Fantastico Roberto 7/2
#7 Thunder Brew 5/2

#2 Lethal Combination is coming off a sharp win at Keeneland against Alw-2 company and he beat a pretty good field in that win. The fourth place finisher Cat Park came back to finish third in the James Murphy at Pimlico on Preakness Day and fifth place finisher Max Silverhammer returned to beat $25K starter allowance foes at Churchill Downs on May 7 by eight lengths. The gelding makes his third start of his current form cycle and looks as if he is sitting on a prime effort here for the McLaughlin barn.

#1 Bank of Eight makes his turf debut here for the Tony Dutrow barn that is 15% winners moving runners from dirt to turf. Last out the colt dueled for eh early lead and battled right to the wire to prevail by a nose in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico. He has a decent turf pedigree, by Distorted Humor (9% turf) out of a A.P. Indy mare.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,4,7
TRI: 1,2 / 1,2,4,7 / 1,2,4,5,7

Monmouth Park Race 10 John J. Reilly Handicap (Post time 5:20 ET)
#3 Together Indy 9/2
#9 Lucky James 5/1
#10 Joey P. 7/2
#6 Unwritten 6/1

#3 Together Indy returns to conventional dirt for the first time since the colt beat New Jersey bred Alw-1 company here last summer. His last two came over polytrack and the two races before that were on grass. The colt won the Commonwealth (G2) at Keeneland back in April over the fake stuff, but his two top career figs were his two wins over the Monmouth Park surface. The colt will appreciate the class drop from graded company back in here facing state breds.

#9 Lucky James is one of nine in the field that is making his 2010 debut, making this a tough race to handicap. The gelding was last seen winning the Eillo Stakes at the Big M last October. The gelding capped off ’09 by winning four of his last five starts, running into a tough trip in the lone loss during that run. The barn is showing a 1 for 10 mark with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 3,9 / 3,6,9,10
TRI: 3,9 / 3,6,9,10 / 1,3,6,9,10,12