Isabella Sings looks to grab another Monmouth stakes win in Eatontown

Graded stakes winner Isabella Sings looks to grab her second consecutive stakes victory at Monmouth Park when she leaves the gate with seven other fillies in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Eatontown Stakes, going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.

“She looks to be doing good,” said Todd Pletcher, who conditions the horse for Siena Farm LLC. “She is a very fit and forward-training filly.”

The four-year-old filly by Eskendereya out of the Lomitas mare Isobel Baillie is coming off a score in the Miss Liberty at Monmouth on May 29 where she stalked the early pace and took the lead at the top of the stretch, storming home to a length and a half win.

Prior to her score in the Miss Liberty, Isabella Sings had run twice in 2016, first in the Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs on March 12 and the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 7, finishing behind Breeders’ Cup and Champion Female Turf horse Tepin.

Isabella Sings’ biggest win came in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere on Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs, where she took the field wire-to-wire to grab a half-length victory.

The filly’s first trip to the Monmouth Park winners circle came in last year’s Little Silver, taking the field wire-to-wire to grab a three-quarter length victory.

Isabella Sings has worked just once since her Miss Liberty victory, going four furlongs over the Monmouth main track in :49 on June 17.

“She won’t be too far off the pace,” said Pletcher. “The fractions would have to be really quick for her to be far back.”

Isabella Sings is the only graded stakes victor in the race and one of two stakes winners. Invading Humor, out of Bruce Levine’s barn, placed in her last start, the Mount Vernon on May 30 and won the Ticonderoga on Oct. 24, both at Belmont Park.

Sea Coast, stakes-placed in Ireland, comes in off a win in an allowance optional claiming event at Monmouth last time out on May 28, taking the lead on the far turn and holding on for a length and a half victory.

Paco Lopez, leading rider at the Monmouth meet, will be back aboard Isabella Sings, who has ridden the filly to two wins and a second in his three previous mounts.

“Paco (Lopez) seems to get along well with her,” said Pletcher. “I’ll let him sort out the trip.”

The Eatontown will be race 10 in Saturday’s 11-race card. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., with first post set for 12:50 p.m.

 

 

Guests will pour into Monmouth Park Saturday and Sunday for the Wine and Chocolate Festival this weekend, where they will be able to sample and purchase delicious wines from New Jersey’s best wineries and satisfy their sweet tooth with many different chocolate treats, all while enjoying a day at the races.

Multiple packages are available all weekend. For $10, patrons will receive a wristband for unlimited access to wine sampling from vintners such as Cava Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Monroeville Vineyard, Plagido's Winery, Southwind Winery and more. For $7, guests will be able sample an assortment of chocolates from The Chocolate Art Gallery, Gourmet Creations, Jersey Girl Chocolates, Delaware Delights, The Sweet Cake Company, Dee’s Chocomaze, among others. For those who fancy both wine and chocolate, they can have the bundle package for just $15.

Patrons will also be able to enjoy live music from Nine Deez Night on Saturday and The Mike Dalton Band on Sunday, which is also Family Fun Day featuring pony rides, face painters and bounce house.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m., with event festivities beginning at 12 noon and first post at 12:50 p.m. for both days.