After two dirt wins, Niche back on grass for Monmouth County
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Niche, a 3-year-old filly coming off back-to-back wins on dirt, will make her stakes debut on turf in the $100,000 Monmouth County on Sunday at Monmouth Park. This might seem like a peculiar move, but trainer Rob Atras is banking on talent.
“Obviously, it’s not the most ideal move after winning two on the dirt to move back to the turf,” Atras said. “There is some rain in the forecast, so if it rained, it wouldn’t hurt. But we’re just hoping that she’s a better filly now.”
When Niche last tried the turf at Fair Grounds in March, she was in a very different position in her career, toiling in maiden company while slowly finding herself on the track. She improved to score her first win in April when switched to dirt at Laurel Park, but Atras said the surface was only one factor.
“She ran some decent races on the grass,” Atras said. “We switched her back to the dirt to try something different, just because we knew there was more there. From what I’m seeing in the mornings and watching races, I just think she’s a bigger, stronger, filly now.”
In May, the front-running Niche sprung another gate-to-wire score in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct. She might have been a candidate for the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 10, but Atras said the competition at Saratoga might be too tough. If the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint is right for her, she is sure to find softer company in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth.
The front-running filly Spinelli will also switch back to turf after improving to win a synthetic first-level allowance by 4 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park last month. She earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort and, like Atras, trainer Joe Orseno said the surface had little to do with her improvement off a short layoff.
“I don’t think it was the synthetic,” Orseno said. “She had a little throat issue, and we did minor surgery on her and gave her two months to get over it. I think we fixed her. She’s a good filly and I always knew it was there. I think by fixing her throat, we made her a nice racehorse.”
Both of Spinelli’s victories in nine career starts have come on the front end, which won’t leave jockey Rajiv Maragh with much to consider after breaking from the rail on Sunday.
Gerrards Cross and Tap Into Grace finished second and third in the $100,000 Stormy Blues at Laurel last month and will both ship to Monmouth for another stakes try. The front-running Gerrards Cross finished a head clear in their last meeting for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, but the Brittany Russell-trained Tap Into Grace might have run the stronger race while closing on a course that seemed to favor early speed. There should be a hot pace at Monmouth, which could set up better for her.
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