Trainer Gregg Sacco
is going to be a busy man come Saturday’s New Jersey Thoroughbred
Festival.
The conditioner will
saddle seven runners in the course of Saturday’s 12 races, including one in all
of Monmouth Park’s three stakes races.
“We’re certainly
going to be busy Saturday,” Sacco said.
“We’ve got a lot of good horses running and hopefully we can have a big
day.”
Leading off the trio
of stakes runners for the Sacco barn is Pot O’ Gold Stable’s Voodoo Charm who
will face five older rivals in the $60,000 New Jersey Breeders’ Handicap. The 3-year-old son of Devil His Due hasn’t
finished worse than second in four 2011 starts.
“He’s really
developed into a nice horse this year,” Sacco said. “He’s only three and will be facing some
seasoned older horses, but he’s answered the bell on everything we’ve asked of
him so far this year.”
In Saturday’s Race
7, Red Oak Stable’s Hung Jury will step up against stakes company for the first
time. The 4-year-old gelding by Closing
Argument has a win and a second-place finish at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the
$100,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap.
“Hung Jury is not an
easy horse to train and is not very easy on himself in his races,” Sacco
said. “Last time, he kind of hung a
little bit in the stretch. He seems to
wait on horses sometimes, but we think this is a good spot for him to make his
stakes debut.”
In the $60,000
Jersey Girl Handicap, the aptly-named Ima Jersey Girl will try for her fourth
win of the 2011 Monmouth Park season.
The 3-year-old filly by Lightnin N Thunder successfully stretched out to
a mile and 70 yards last out in the form of a 3 ¼-length win.
“The way Ima Jersey
Girl has trained gave us every indication that she would stretch out,” Sacco
said. “She surely answered the bell last
out. She’s only three and will be
running against some older horses who are more seasoned at the distance and
against stakes company, but there weren’t really any other options for her.”
In addition to its
three stakes runners, the Sacco barn will also send out Scatalicious in Race 2,
Silent Appeal in Race 5, Late for Class in Race 6, and Courage to Be in Race
10.