Perkins Sends Two to Dan Horn

Trainer Ben Perkins, Jr. is set to send both Lulu Had a Baby and Jax Maxx into Sunday’s $60,000 Dan Horn Stakes for New Jersey breds. Both entrants are coming off of a four month layoff, but Perkins believes they are ready to go.

“Both horses have trained well here and we’re just trying to find the right spot for them,” Perkins said. “They both ran well over the winter and we gave them a little break getting ready for Monmouth.”

In their last works Jaxx Maxx went five furlongs in 1:02 flat on June 2, while Lulu Had a Baby worked the same distance in 1:03 3/5 on June 7. Both horses will try the turf for the first time on Sunday as they travel a mile in the Dan Horn.

“You don’t get too many opportunities for the Jersey breds long,” Perkins said, “and the turf race would actually be easier coming off the layoff.”

Although both entrants have had a few months off, Lulu Had a Baby and stablemate Jax Maxx are coming into the Dan Horn on a winning streak. Lulu Had a Baby won his last two races at Laurel Park, while Jax Maxx won his last going wire-to-wire at Parx, and the two before at Laurel Park. Perkins is unsure of where his pair will be in the race as they go as part of an overflowing field of 15. 

“It’s hard to say where they’ll be pace wise,” their trainer said. “Jax Maxx looks like he wants to sit mid-pack, but we’ll just have to try to play it by ear since there are so many in there, especially because it’s new to some of them. So when there are so many in there it’s hard to know what’s going to happen.”

The Dan Horn will go as race 10 on Sunday’s 12-race card.