Mack Fehsenfeld's Key Lory brings a three-race – all stakes – winning streak into Saturday's $100,000 Red Bank Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth Park.
Key Lory, a Dennis J. Manning-trained son of Key to the Mint and a half-brother of Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Halory Hunter and Delaware Oaks (gr. III) winner Brushed Halory, concluded his 7-year-old season last September with a win in the 1 1/8-mile Da Hoss Stakes at Pimlico. Prior to that, he won the Sussex Handicap – in which subsequent New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) winner Parade Leader finished third – and the Oceanport Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth. The Red Bank will mark his first start since the Da Hoss.
Mr. Livingston brings a one-race winning streak into the Red Bank, having won the Jackie Wackie Handicap last month at Calder to end a six-race losing streak. Jose Velez Jr. will ride Teresa and David Palmer's four-time stakes winner in the one-mile Red Bank.
Spruce Run, a two-time stakes winner on the Monmouth turf, has lost all three of his 2002 starts, but he did finish second last time out in what his connections say was a prep for this event.
"His last race at Gulfstream was a good effort," said Samantha Randazzo, who oversees trainer Linda Rice's string at Monmouth. "We basically used that race as a prep for this one. He's not really a good breeze horse on the dirt so his last race was his breeze on the turf and he ran great. He stalked a slow pace and was running good at the end. Since then he's breezed twice on the dirt here at Monmouth on the fifth and 15th (of May). He went well for him and he's coming into this race sharp, bright and prepared."
Ten horses entered the Red Bank, from the rail out they are:
1 -- Mus-if, Mario Pino, 115
2 -- One Eyed Joker, Roberto Alvarado Jr., 114
3 -- Spruce Run, Jose Ferrer, 113
4 -- Pyrus, Eibar Coa, 115
5 -- Sardaukar, Charles Lopez, 113
6 -- Mr. Livingston, Jose Velez Jr., 115
7 -- Phi Beta Doc, Edwin King Jr., 112
8 -- Boastful, Joe Bravo, 115
9 -- Dog Tags, Brent Bartram, 111
10 -- Key Lory, Harry Vega, 117
