Musket Man Faces Five in Monmouth Cup
After a 32-year stand at the Meadowlands, the Monmouth Cup, formerly the Meadowlands Cup, has moved south to Oceanport and will feature a solid field of six vying for the $300,000 purse.
Among the six entered in this year’s 33rd renewal of the Grade 2 Cup are last year’s winner Etched, as well as this year’s Florida Derby winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box.
Multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed and Grade 2 winner Musket Man will break from the rail for trainer Derek Ryan. The 4-year-old ran third last out in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga behind leading older horses Blame and Quality Road. Last year, Musket Man finished third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
This year’s Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes winner Duke of Mischief will break from post No. 2. The David Fawkes trainee captured the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap earlier this year and finished fifth in last year’s Haskell Invitational behind Rachel Alexandra.
This year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box will break from post No. 3. The lone 3-year-old in the field, Ice Box ran sixth in this year’s Haskell behind Lookin at Lucky and most recently finished eighth in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.
Carol Nyren’s Dry Martini will break from post No. 4 for trainer Barclay Tagg. The 7-year-old son of Slew Gin Fizz has accumulated four graded stakes wins over his 33-race career. Last out, Dry Martini finished sixth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on the Belmont Park turf.
Chirac, winner of last year’s Grade 3 Iselin, will break from post No. 5. In his first start of 2010, the 5-year-old son of Sligo Bay finished second last out in Monmouth’s Formal Gold Stakes.
Completing the field is last year’s Meadowlands Cup winner Etched. The 5-year-old won the Formal Gold over Chirac last out in his first start of the year. The Forestry colt will break from the outside post in the six-horse field.
The Monmouth Cup will be run at a mile and an eighth and has served as a stepping stone for horses headed to racing’s biggest day, the Breeders’ Cup. Wild Again, Alysheba and Volponi all ran in the Meadowlands Cup en route to their Breeders’ Cup Classic victories.
The entire field for this year’s Monmouth Cup, with rider assignments, is:
1. Musket Man, Eibar Coa
2. Duke of Mischief, Paco Lopez
3. Ice Box, Chuck C. Lopez
4. Dry Martini, Joe Bravo
5. Chirac, Elvis Trujillo
6. Etched, Eddie Castro
$44,661 PICK 5 CARRYOVER INTO SATURDAY’S CARD
For the second time in as many weeks, Saturday’s card will feature a Pick 5 carryover at Monmouth Park. With no one correctly selecting all five winners on last Sunday’s program, $44,661 will be added to the pool this Saturday.
Featuring a 50-cent base wager, the Pick 5 is offered on races six through 10. Four out of five winners on Sunday’s program returned $595.50.
OKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION AT MONMOUTH THIS SATURDAY
In addition to the fall meet’s biggest day of racing on the track, this Saturday also features Monmouth Park’s Oktoberfest celebration. Including brats, beer and bets, Oktoberfest will run from 12-5 pm and be held on the Grandstand side of the track.
A beer garden housing over a dozen top breweries will offer 10 two-ounce samples and a commemorative Monmouth Park mini-pilsner glass for $10. In addition to a great selection of brews, the Oktoberfest food menu will feature German Pork Chops, Kielbasa, Chicken, Schnitzel, German Potato Salad, Braised Cabbage, Spaetzle, Potato Pancakes and more.
For more information on Monmouth Park’s Oktoberfest celebration, log-on to www.monmouthpark.com or call 732-222-5100.