St. Albans Boy Ready for Monmouth Stakes
St. Albans Boy looks to capture his first career stakes win in his second start over the Monmouth Park turf in the Grade 2 $200,000 Monmouth Stakes on Sunday, going a mile and an eighth.
St. Albans Boy, a five-year-old gelding by Giant’s Causeway out of the Diamond Shoal (GB) mare Rose Diamond, had a horrible trip in his latest outing in a $56,000 allowance over a soft turf course at Keeneland. He was forced six wide on the far turn after sitting behind horses the entire backstretch.
“He’s a good horse and he has been working really well at Fair Hill,” said Angel Serpa, who rides for trainer Kelly Rubley and owner Hare Forest Farm. “He had a rough trip last time. We had to go really wide and it gave him no chance to kick for home.”
St. Albans Boy has worked five times since his last outing in April. His latest work, which was at Fair Hill, he went four furlongs in :48 on May 29, which was the fastest time of any horse that went four furlongs on that day.
“We will probably look to stay about middle of the pack,” said Serpa. “Hopefully, we can have a clear run turning for home.”
It will be no easy task for St. Albans Boy to grab his first win in stakes company. He will have to take down Triple Threat, a Group 2 winner in France, Lochte, multiple graded stakes winner including the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in 2014, and Legendary, winner of the 2014 Knickerbocker at Belmont Park.
St. Albans Boy will be breaking from post position 11 in the 12-horse field. The Monmouth will be race 11 inSunday’s 12-race card. Gates open at 11:30a.m. with first post at 12:50p.m.
CHASER LOOKS TO PULL OFF UPSET IN JOHN MCSORLEY STAKES
Chaser returns back to the turf for trainer Pat McBurney and goes for his first career stakes win in Sunday’s $60,000 John McSorley Stakes, going five and a half furlongs.
“He has been training great and we are looking forward to getting him back on the grass,” said McBurney, who trains the horse for Fleming Thoroughbreds LLC. “He loves the turf, especially here at Monmouth.”
Chaser, a four-year-old colt by Posse out of the Lost Code mare Winged Delite, has three previous starts over the Monmouth grass with a 1-0-1 record.
Chaser last worked over the Monmouth dirt on a fast main track on May 17, going four furlongs in :48, which was the seventh fastest out of 52 horses that went four furlongs on that day.
“This is a very tough field all the way around,” said McBurney. “He is going to have to run his best race to have a shot.”
A tough field it is indeed. Three stakes winners will break from the gate on Sunday including Dreamsgonewild, who has hit the board three out of her four career starts on the Monmouth turf, Two Notch Road, a stakes winner at Monmouth, and Strong Impact, who won last year’s edition of the McSorley.
This will be Chaser second start off an eight month layoff. Her last time out was on the Monmouth dirt, going six furlongs in a $50,000 allowance finishing seventh.
“He needed to get that race under his belt,” said McBurney. “Five to five and a half furlongs on the turf is where he is best at.”
Carlos Marquez Jr. will be aboard Chaser and will be breaking from post position nine. The McSorley will be race 8 in Sunday’s 12-race card. Gates open at 11:30 with first post at 12:50p.m.