Slumber Looks to Awaken in Monmouth Stakes

A dozen older horses are set to tangle in the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 7 at Monmouth Park. They will travel nine furlongs over the New Jersey turf course.

Slumber, a 7-year-old son of the Bobby Frankel-trained turf star Cacique, figures to be a tough customer, although he has drawn outside in the field of 12. Co-owned by Sheep Pond Partners, the owner of 3-year-old filly grass star Lady Eli, Slumber has battled in grade I and grade II company this season. Most recently he finished fifth in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs May 2. On Feb. 7 he was second by a nose in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (gr. IT). The Monmouth could get him back on the winning track.

Cage Fighter exits a second-place finish in the May 15 Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT), a race that will send multiple starters into the Monmouth. The 5-year-old by Closing Argument   won an allowance/optional claiming race at Pimlico Race Course in April and brings some recent form to the seaside. Ghurair comes back off a layoff, having last raced in early August at Saratoga Race Course, where he won an allowance/optional claiming contest. Last year the son of Elusive Quality   was sixth in the United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) at Monmouth.

Lochte and Slim Shadey are both looking to recapture lost form. Grade I winner Lochte, a 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro  , won the Tampa Bay Stakes (gr. IIIT) in January, but has been off the board in the March 28 Appleton Stakes (gr. IIIT) and in the Dixie. Slim Shadey, a 7-year-old by Val Royal, raced in Breeders’ Cup competition in 2012, but is winless this season.

Middleburg, a homebred for Mr. and Mrs. Bert Firestone, won an allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in March and then was third in the Fort Marcy Stakes (gr. IIIT) in May. He is by turf specialist Lemon Drop Kid  . Legendary won last year’s Knickerbocker Stakes (gr. IIIT) and ran sixth in the Dixie after finishing fourth in the April 15 Makers 46 Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland.

St. Albans Bay has extensive stakes experience. Last year he was sixth in both the W. L. McKnight and Red Smith handicaps (both gr. IIIT) and third in the Laurel Turf Cup. He has been off the board in two allowance races this year. Inchcape was fifth in the April 25 Miami Mile Stakes (gr. IIIT) and won an allowance/optional claimer in March. Tricky Hat won the John’s Call Stakes at Saratoga in August and finished ninth in the Dixie.

Triple Threat makes his first start in the U.S. in the Monmouth. He is a group II stakes winner in France, but hasn’t raced since September. Our Emerald Forest figures to be light on class against this field and was fifth in an allowance in his only 2015 start.