Lonesome Town Tries to Win First Stakes

Lonesome Town will try for her first stakes win in the $100,000, Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes, which will be contested for the 43rd time this Saturday. Conditioned by Michael Trombetta, Lonesome Town will seek to improve on her third place finish last out in the Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth on May 26. Like the Miss Liberty, the Eatontown is set for a mile and a sixteenth on Monmouth’s turf course.

“The track was a little softer in her last try,” Trombetta said, “but she seemed to handle it well, she ran well. Since then she’s been training very nicely. She’s breezing well and I’m really looking forward to running her.”

A 5-year-old mare by Broken Vow, out of Dreams, Lonesome Town has worked twice at Fair Hill since her last start. On June 10 she breezed four furlongs in :50 3/5, and five furlongs a week later on June 17 in 1:02 flat.

In Lonesome Town’s 10-race career she has shown versatility by starting on grass four times, a synthetic surface 5 times and dirt once. She has a victory on both turf and synthetic, and has hit the board in six of her starts.

“We’re trying to figure out what surface she’s best on,” said Trombetta, “but certainly running with the likes of the company she did last time was a step in the right direction.”  

A Robert S. Evans color-bearer, Lonesome Town was bested by Grade 1 winner Tannery in the Miss Liberty, and will face tough competition again in the Eatontown. Among the nine-horse field is graded stakes winner Lady Ten, and 2-1 morning line favorite Orion Moon.        

“My horse is very versatile,” Trombetta said. “She was only on the lead last time because none of the other horses wanted to be there. I think she’ll run from anywhere.”  

Monmouth Park’s leading jockey Paco Lopez will be aboard Lonesome Town as she breaks from the 7-post in the Eatontown, which will go as the 11th race on Saturday’s 12-race card.