Day 2 of the 9 day Monmouth at the Meadowlands meet will offer another six race card. The rails for the turf course will be all the way in at 0 feet tonight. There’s a pair of nice allowance races (4 & 6) that will serve as the co-featured races on tonight’s program, which is scheduled to get underway at 7:00 (EDT).
| Race | Top Pick | A | B | C | Exotics Menu |
| 1 | 7 | 7,6,5 | DBL, PK3, PK6 | ||
| 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | DBL, PK3, PK5 | |
| 3 | 3 | 3,2 | 7 | DBL, PK3, PK4 | |
| 4 | 10 | 10,8 | DBL, $3 Late PK3 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | $5 Late DBL | |
| 6 | 6 | 6,8 | 2 |
Race 1:
The Saturday night card starts with a $10K maiden claiming race going five furlongs over the turf course. I’ll try the longshot and make Prismatic Light (#7) the top pick for Phil Artistone. The plan has always been to get this one on the turf. He debuted in a state bred maiden special weight race that was taken off the turf at the end of August. He was bumped around at the break and didn’t show much on debut. He dropped into maiden claiming company two weeks ago where that race was also taken off the turf. He was a little closer in the early stages before backing out of the picture. He did show improvement though, which makes me believe that he could be sitting on a bigger race while getting on the turf for the first time tonight. This barn is sharp with horses switching surfaces and perhaps being gelded since his last start will also help his cause. Twin Lights (#6) has had trouble staying sound as there have been gaps between each start. Like the top pick, he was bred in New Jersey and he has a pedigree that suggests that he could move forward on the grass. The dam sire is City Zip, who produced some fine North American turf runners in his day. As a sire, Sea Wizard gets 19% winners from his debut runners. Draft Riots (#5) drops to the bottom after a pair of dull efforts in his last two starts. His turf effort three back was good enough to be right there with this group, but his last two efforts make me wonder how likely it may be for him to get back to that level. Regardless, with the lack of depth in this group, I’d want to be covered with him in the multi-race wagers.
Race 2:
I think Brockton (#6) is the clear standout in this $7,500-$6,500 N2L claiming race. He’s dropping in class after a dull effort at Laurel in his last start, but that race was chock full of excuses for him. Every race prior to that effort for him was a two turn race on the turf, however his connections tried him in a 5 ½ furlong sprint. He pressed the pace that day and was four wide on the turn, which amounted to a last place finish that afternoon. Pretty much every other race at two turns was an effort that would be good enough to beat this group. I think Eliseo Ruiz puts him on the lead in this one mile race and he doesn’t look back. Bliss Street (#8) would be a live longshot that I’d consider in the lower rungs of the vertical exotics. He scratched out of a tougher spot last night in favor of this race. With the exception of a dull effort two back, three of his last four starts have been respectable. He tried to go gate to wire three back and got a little leg weary late. I’d like to see him try to stalk the pace in this spot, and if he does, I do think he can hang around of a piece of the action.
Race 3:
This time, we’ll have a $7,500-$6,500 N3L claiming race going one mile on the turf. I’ll try Fully Authorized (#3) on top in this race. While it’s been awhile since this one has found the Winner’s Circle, he’s been a better horse on firmer going. The three times he ran this year, this course at Monmouth was labeled “good” and there was definitely a decent amount of moisture in the ground that resulted in final times being about two seconds slower than the par on firm going for that level. The course was fairly firm for this time of year last night and there’s no rain in the forecast until Sunday. I’m Due (#2) is another runner that has been kept out of the Winner’s Circle for a long time. He switches barns after losing the lead late in his last start at Penn National. While he hasn’t been finishing the fastest, he has been in range in his last four starts. Closers had a shot last night, which might bode well for a runner like Atomico (#7). He was a winner three starts back when clearing the N2L condition in a $10K claimer at Penn. He was buried along the rail two back, and while he made up a decent amount of ground, he never really seemed interested in splitting rivals. Perhaps an over the top move might give him a better shot here. There are enough horses that want to be forward that could set the table for a closer.
Race 4:
Fillies and mares will go one mile in this conditioned allowance race. I think the two that should decide this race are Abigail (#8) and Fire’s Out (#10). I’m interested in Fire’s Out as the top pick in this race, assuming she opts to race in this spot. She is cross-entered in an allowance race tomorrow at Laurel. However, there’s a ton of rain in the Sunday forecast and this filly is 20-1 on the morning line in that race as opposed to 4-1 on the morning line here. Her line win came in a 6 ½ furlong sprint on the Tapeta at Turfway over the winter. However, she has some credible races on the turf. While I do wonder if this a horse that would be better in longer distance one turn races on the turf, I do think she’s a candidate to move forward while stretching out in distance in her second start off the layoff. Abigail is the class of the field. Miguel Clement tries his luck with sending her to a lesser circuit from New York. This move worked when going to Tampa over the winner, as she was a two-time winner there. A wide draw and a wide trip made her last assignment next to impossible. The class relief should be kind to her tonight.
Race 5:
Fillies and mares will go one mile on the turf in this $16K-$14K N2L claiming race. Lady of Lords (#3) is coming off a maiden score at Penn National with $16K maiden claimers in her last start. She paired her last two Beyers there and is now making her third start off the layoff while facing winners for the first time. While facing winners for the first time is always a class test, there are a lot of horses that don’t love to win races here. She’s a three year old filly that runs for a high percentage barn in a spot where she figures to take a step forward. I’m not sure we’ll get the 10-1 odds, but if we’re close, there are a lot of things to like with this filly in this race. Dona Luna (#2) broke her maiden four starts ago with a score in a $20,000-$12,500 maiden claiming race at Laurel. All three of her tries against winners came against a sharper group of opponents. She’s at her best when she’s close to the front end in the early stages and with her draw, she should have a chance to get involved early.
Race 6:
We’ll close out the weekend with a conditioned allowance for three year olds and up going one mile. This race is the male equivalent to the 4th race, which was carded for the ladies. Blown Cover (#6) is the pick in this race for me. He struggled in his last start at Saratoga when facing five better horses in allowance company. That was really his first subpar effort over the turf course. His other starts are much sharper and now that he’s in his second start off the layoff, I can see him putting up a big number in this spot tonight. Six Fortyfive (#8) is cross-entered this afternoon at Laurel in a race where the purse is $7K less. He also needs a lot of defections to participate in that ratings handicap, where he’d have the privilege of trying to dethrone a very heavy favorite. This field is more wide open and I think he’ll be able to work out a stalking trip similar to the one he worked out in Tampa over the winter. On deeper tickets, Outrunner (#2) is worth covering. I think he’s more likely to finish second or third, but I do like his versatility. I don’t want to see him battling for the lead in this race, because I think there are better front-runners that would make his job a lot tougher if he tried to go with them. He’s a Grade 3 placed runner, and while he’s still learning the ins and outs of this game, the class could be what shines through.
Final 2025 Meet Statistics:
Top Pick Winners; 15/54 (27.8%), $166.60, $3.09 ROI
