Griff Ready to Strike in Jersey Shore

This Saturday marks the 23rd running of the Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park where a field of six 3-year-olds will sprint six furlongs along the Monmouth strip in search of the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse and a graded stakes victory. Among the runners will be Griff, poised to strike for his first stakes victory in this Grade 3 event.

“This race every year is kind of a wide open race,” said Tim Hills, Griff’s conditioner. “It’s really a good opportunity. The timing here was absolutely perfect. We were disappointed in his first few races but when he did step up and run the way he thought he would we were thrilled. It’s straight 3-year-olds as opposed to stepping up to older, so this is a step up for him but not a huge step up.”

A 3-year-old gelding by Rockport Harbor out of the Dehere mare Got a Glow, Griff has two victories in his six career starts, including his last race where he bested the field by over four lengths in an allowance event at Parx on July 20, stepping the six furlongs in 1:10 flat.

“I really liked his last race,” Hills said. “The blinkers helped get him to concentrate and the rider (Roberto Alvarado Jr.) rode him exactly the way I wanted him ridden. He’s a long striding horse and you have to sit on him and hold him together and he’ll give you a really good punch if you sit and ask him in the stretch. He had nowhere to go for a while but once he was swung out he took off.”

Since his last race Griff has posted three workouts, all at Monmouth Park. First on August 1 when he stepped four furlongs over a fast main track in :49 1/5, next on August 7 breezing five furlongs in 1:02 3/5, and most recently on August 12 when he worked three furlongs in : 36 2/5.

“He trains really well,” said Hills, “especially when he works in company otherwise he doesn’t concentrate very well. He’s kind of a clown, but he did work in company the other day and worked really well for the race.”

Because of the tough competition in the Jersey Shore, Griff will enter the race as an underdog, the longest shot on the morning line at 8-1. Among the competitors are 9-5 morning line favorite and stakes-winner Favorite Tale, as well as graded stakes winner Debt Ceiling. Although Hills acknowledges that his race is a step up, he is sticking with his strategy and plans for his horse to try and come from behind.

“This race traditionally has a good pace,” said Hills, “so we’ll track the pace and go for our run in the stretch.” 

Roberto Alvarado Jr. will return in the irons aboard Griff in the Jersey Shore Stakes, which will go as race 11 on Saturday’s 12-race card.

MARE ON FIRE HOT-TO-TROT IN FRIDAY’S FEATURE

Trainer Pat McBurney will send his charge Mare On Fire into this Friday’s feature race, a $36,000 allowance event for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward.

In her last race Mare On Fire tried turf for the first time and was beaten by less than a length to claim second place after traveling a mile at Monmouth on July 25. She and an overflowing field of 12 are set to go a mile and a sixteenth on the grass in Friday’s feature.

“She really woke up on the grass,” McBurney said. “She ran fantastic and she looked like she really liked that surface. She seemed much faster on the turf so that’s where her future is.” 

A 3-year-old filly by Northern Afleet out of This Cat Can Dance, Mare On Fire will break from the outside post, and although McBurney believes she can handle the distance, he is not thrilled about the prospect of starting so far outside.

“The distance should be no problem for her,” said McBurney, “but you hate being that far outside in a race like this because you’re going to lose a couple lengths on each turn probably, but we just hope she can work out a nice trip.”

Although Mare On Fire traditionally comes from off the pace, McBurney has adopted a new strategy with his horse now running on the turf.

“She really surprised us the last time being in front because in her dirt races she’s closed every time,” McBurney said. “Looking at this race there doesn’t seem to be a lot of speed either. You hate to use her too much from the outside post but she should be pretty forwardly placed and hopefully not be more than two wide for that first turn.”

Jockey Ramon Moya will return to ride Mare On Fire in Friday’s feature race, which goes as race 9 on the 10-race card.

CRAB CAKE COOK OFF THIS WEEKEND AT MONMOUTH PARK

This Saturday and Sunday Monmouth Park will host the Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off, one of the track’s biggest summer festivals. The shore’s top seafood restaurants will set up shop at Monmouth for the weekend, dishing out chowders, lobster rolls, fresh fish, and more as they battle to see whose crab takes the cake.

Vendors for the festival include Bacon On Wheels, Bahrs Restaurant, Chip Stix, Coney Waffle, Enzo's, Four Boys Concessions, Kona Ice, Ike's Famous Crabcakes, Station 1 Seafood, Two Sons Savannah Style Seafood, WD Cakes & Steaks, Red Hook Lobster, and Chimney Cake Factory.

The festival will also feature live music on both days as Nine Deez Band and The Larry Stevens Band play “On the Green” on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

As always, fans will be able to enjoy full cards of live racing both days, with gates opening at 11:30 a.m. for post time at 12:50 p.m.