Solid opening weekend a good sign a Mon. Park

With the economic troubles facing our nation, you have to wonder how it will affect Monmouth Park.

EQUIFAX Horses break out of the gate at the start of the first race on opening day at Monmouth Park. This past weekend, the historic racetrack in Oceanport opened its doors to start the 2009 meet and early indications are that even in such trying times, people are still willing to try their luck.A

crowd of 10,292 was on hand to see Acting Zippy win Saturday's opening day feature, the $70,000 Decathlon Stakes, and on-track wagering topped $664,930.

Those numbers represented solid gains in attendance and mutuel handle for the first day of a 94-day meeting, as both gate and wagering totals were more than double the 2008 numbers when Monmouth opened on a Friday. They also represented substantial gains above the first Saturday of last year's meet, when 7,069 fans bet $512,000 at Monmouth.

Total wagering for the day was $4,279,440, besting last year's figure of nearly $3.6 million.

"It was a great beginning for us," said Bob Kulina, Monmouth Park vice president and general manager. "Hopefully, it's a sign of good things to come this summer at Monmouth Park."

In the decathlon, Acting Zippy took control in deep stretch and drew off to win by a length and three-quarters, stopping the timer in a quick 1:08 1/5 for six furlongs on a fast track.

Acting Zippy, trained by William D. Bennett and ridden by Eddie Castro, went off second choice in the field of eight and paid $7.80, $3.20 and $2.60 across the board. Unwritten, who set the pace before giving in, finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of He's So Chic; part of the entry favored at evenmoney. Unwritten paid $4.40 and $2.80 and completed the $37.40 exacta. He' So Chic returned the minimum $2.10 to show.

It was the second straight stakes win in fast time for Acting Zippy, who scored at Delaware Park in 1:08 1/5 in April. It was the third win on the day for Castro, who also took the fourth race with TrueWood and the fifth with Brickyard.

"I wanted to stay close early," Castro said. "Speed has been pretty good."

"In the stretch, he was lugging in some, and I was just trying to get him to straighten out. He finally did just before the wire and was clear by then. He's at the top of his game right now and can do anything I ask of him," said Bennett, who owns the winner in partnership with C. Bowling. "That's two starts in a row going 1:08 1/5. He's very fast."

Sunday's action was highlighted by Sondra D. Bender's Access Fee, who set a pressured pace early on before holding off the late charge of D wild Ride to win the $70,000 Red Cross Stakes before a crowd of 11,095.

Ridden by Luis Garcia, Access Fee covered the six furlongs in 1:09.90 and returned $3.60, $2.80 and $2.10 as the odds-on choice in the field of five fillies and mares. D wild Ride tried to get by the winner for most of the stretch, but finished a head behind and paid $6, $2.60. The exacta returned $26.40.

By the Light was another three quarters of a length back in third, good for a $2.20 show mutuel.

"She fought really hard," said winning trainer Larry Murray. "This filly looks around at everything, she even gallops in blinkers. We could have run her at Pimlico on Friday, but with the crowd and tents there (Preakness week), this looked like the better spot and we could see how she liked the track and gauge if we would be back with her later. After that, I think we'll be back."

The Red Cross win boosted Access Fee's career record to 6-1-0 from nine starts. She has now earned $157,050.

Weekend adds to high hopes

With a successful opening weekend on the books, Monmouth Park can only hope the rest of the season follows suit. Early indications are that while the horseracing industry is proceeding with cautious optimism, Monmouth remains an attractive venue.

"As always, the stable area will meet its maximum capacity of 1,600 horses," said Kulina. "We'll have a great mix of familiar faces and newcomers in the trainer ranks, which should ensure great competitive racing, at all levels, throughout the meet."

As always, Monmouth A Park is open seven days a week for simulcasting from across the country and around the globe.

Monmouth Park is set to offer average overnight purses of $315,000 for the 2009 season, an increase of 3 percent over last year. Additionally, stakes purses will see an increase of just over 10 percent to nearly $5 million.

Once again, the season will be highlighted by the $1 million Haskell Invitational, to be run on Sunday, Aug. 2.

A total of 94 live racing programs will be offered at Monmouth this year with the meet running through Sunday, Sept. 27. Post time for the 2009 season will be 12:50 p.m.

Some new faces set to join the Monmouth stalwarts are trainers Kiaran McLaughlin, David Fawkes, Tom Albertrani, John Terranova, Ralph Nicks and Wesley Ward.

Some of the track's more popular horses will be returning this meet after enjoying success at Monmouth in year's past.

Multiple stakes winners Joey P., Presious Passion and Kiss the Kid, who rank high on the fan favorites list at Monmouth, will be seen in action here this meeting, their trainers report.

Joey P., the 7-year-old son of Close Up owned by John Petrini, is pointing for the John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey-breds on Saturday, May 23, said trainer Ben Perkins Jr. The gelding has not started since he was sixth in the Toboggan (G3) at Aqueduct on March 7.

"We gave him a break after the Toboggan," Perkins said. He's doing great now, and he'll be ready for the Reilly. After that, we'll think about sending him back to Charles Town for the sprint stake there."

Last year, Joey P. won the Reilly by more than two lengths over Who's the Cowboy, and then shipped to West Virginia where he won the Charles Town Dash by three lengths. The dash will be run on June 20 this year.

Presious Passion, who won the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth last year for trainer Mary Hartmann's first Grade 1 score, will again point for the $750,000 U.N., which will be run this year on July 4.

"I plan on running him in the Monmouth Stakes [$200,000 mile and an eighth on June 13]," Hartmann said, "and that will set him up for the United Nations."

Presious Passion, a 6-year-old son of Royal Anthem owned by Patricia Generazio, won the Grade 2 Mac Diamida Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February, and then finished second in the Grade 3 Pan American Stakes on March 21, a race moved from the turf to the sloppy main track.

"He's been on vacation since that race," Hartmann said. "But he's back training now, and doing very well."

Presious Passion breezed five furlongs in 1:03 Saturday morning at Monmouth.

"I just wanted him to stretch his legs a little," Hartmann said.

Kiss the Kid, owned and trained by Amy Tarrant, had a successful winter in Florida, winning the Fort Lauderdale Stakes and Grade 3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream.

"I haven't quite decided on his schedule the next few months, but his midseason goal will be the Oceanport Stakes again."

Kiss the Kid, a 6-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, was second in last year's running of the Grade 3 Oceanport, which will be renewed this year on Aug. 2. He has won on both turf and dirt at Monmouth, and was third in last year's Grade 3 Philip Iselin Stakes.

Atomic Rain Gets A Break, Pointing for Haskell George and Lori Hall's Atomic Rain, who never had room to show much in the Kentucky Derby, will get some down time now, trainer Kelly Breen said Saturday.

After that, his racing schedule will be planned with the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 as the main target.

"He'll get a little break now," Breen said. "I want to let him settle down a little while. He'll just gallop for 30 days, and then we'll decide where he runs next. We're pointing for the Haskell with him."

The Smart Strike colt, who broke his maiden at Monmouth last June, was a lastminute addition to the Kentucky Derby. He breezed at Monmouth on the Tuesday before the Derby and then was vanned to Churchill Downs that day, arriving in Kentucky at 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

Joe Bravo rode the colt in the Derby, where Atomic Rain was in tight quarters much of the way and then tired to be 16 of 19.

West Side Bernie, owned by the Halls and trained by Breen, finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby. However, he was sold privately to Godolphin Stable and will race in Dubai later this year.

Live racing returns to Monmouth Park on Saturday, May 16. Gates will open at 10 a.m. with the first simulcast race coming from Pimlico at 10:15 a.m. The Preakness will highlight the simulcast schedule and is expected to draw the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and the Kentucky Oaks champion Rachel Alexandra.

And don't forget about Father's Day at Monmouth

Monmouth is sponsoring a Father's Day contest, where the grand prize is a VIP package for Father's Day at the track on June 14.

To enter the contest, submit a short writing piece (250 words or less) of your favorite Monmouth Park memory involving your dad. Entries must be submitted by Saturday, June 13, either to the website monmouthinfo@njsea.com or by mail to Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport, NJ 07757.

The grand prize includes lunch in a Parterre box, a $100 betting voucher, clubhouse admission, official track program, valet parking, winner's circle presentation, and paddock privileges.

For more information, e-mail mon mouthinfio@njsea.com or call 732-571-5636.