Grade III winner Somali Lemonade seeks a return to form as she makes her first start over the Monmouth Park turf in the $100,000 Boiling Spring Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 23.
The Boiling Springs, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, is race 11 on the Monmouth card. Post time is 5:48 p.m. EDT.
This is the third start back for Somali Lemonade, who has been training at Fair Hills for Michael Matz.
Cina Forgason's homebred the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid comes off a belated closing effort to finish fourth after bobbling at the start as the 4-5 favorite in the Sands Point (gr. IIT) on the Belmont Park inner turf course May 28. The bay filly is the lone graded stakes winner in the Boiling Springs field, but has lost three in a row since taking the JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. IIIT) handily at Keeneland last October.
“She got upset in the paddock in New York and lost her race there,” Matz said by phone June 21. “So we’ll bring her down on Friday and she’ll school in the paddock in the afternoon.”
Following a sixth-place showing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT), Matz gave Somali Lemonade a lengthy break. The bay filly returned to action in Keeneland's Appalachian (gr. IIIT) April 19, finishing second in her prep for the Sands Point.
“She got into traffic problems in both of her races this year and there was no pace at all in both,” said Matz, who is married to Forgason’s sister D.D.
Joe Rocco Jr. has the mount on Somali Lemonade, who gets five pounds off her Sands Point effort and carries 116. They break from the rail.
Also shipping in from Belmont is Sands Point third-place finisher Zultanite, who led narrowly in the stretch but lost by a neck to Better Lucky in a game effort at 23-1 odds. David Donk trains the El Corredor filly for William J. Punk Jr. and Philip Dileo. Zultanite, who will have Paco Lopez at the controls for the first time, was making her stakes debut in the Sands Point.
Dancing Solo has a stakes win over the course, taking the one-mile Little Silver by 1 1/2 lengths in her most recent start May 27. Joe Bravo retains the mount on the daughter of Giant's Causeway for Twin Creeks Racing Stables.
Also in the Boiling Springs field are the next three finishers from the Little Silver -- Glamour N Glory, Senator Beck, and Cheimon, respectively.
Trainer Ralph Nicks is hoping Hearts of Red, a distant third to Grace Hall in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II), will benefit from some softer company and a return to turf. The well-rested Lion Heart lass broke her maiden on grass at Gulfstream Park Dec. 31.
Destiny's Child, a maiden winner in Ireland in February, makes her United States debut for Team Valor International following three consecutive fourth-place finishes in Germany. The Soldier Hollow filly wears blinkers for the first time and will race without Lasix.
$100,000 Boiling Springs Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 11, 5:48 p.m.), 3YO Fillies, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Somali Lemonade (KY), J Rocco Jr., 116, M R Matz
2. Glamour N Glory (KY), K Carmouche, 116, D Fawkes
3. Hearts of Red (KY), C H Marquez Jr., 116, R E Nicks
4. Destiny's Child (GER), C P DeCarlo, 116, P Schiergen
5. Zultanite (KY), P Lopez, 116, D G Donk
6. Senator Beck (NJ), E Trujillo, 116, T A Hills
7. Zucchini Flower (KY), S Russell, 116, H G Motion
8. Dancing Solo (KY), J Bravo, 118, T A Pletcher
9. Cheimon (MD), A Serpa, 116, E Gray
Blinkers On: Destiny's Child