Distaffers in spotlight with pair of sprint stakes

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Monmouth Park offers a pair of $60,000 distaff turf sprints Sunday that span the ages.

The Fort Monmouth at 5 1/2 furlongs features a field of 11 veteran runners topped by multiple stakes winner Ju Ju Eyeballs. The Colleen is five furlongs for 2-year-olds, with 10 entered, all seeking their first stakes victory.

In fact, half the Colleen field are maidens looking for a win of any kind, including Jersey Jules, who is making her debut.

Eddie Plesa Jr. can’t be blamed for rooting for a little Colleen déjà vu. The trainer won the stakes last year with Flay Mignon, a New Jersey homebred for wife Laurie. They send out another statebred this year: Skirt Stake, who has a win and a second at the meet.

The ace in the hole for Plesa could be Perpetual Novena, who breaks from the rail. She was a sharp debut winner, rallying between horses here in early June.

“She’s a smart filly, and she was well prepared,” Plesa said. “I put them in between horses in their training. She had experienced that before in the morning, and it paid off in the afternoon.”

The pattern, and timing, are very similar to last Sunday, when Plesa’s Souper Colossal captured the rained-off Tyro Stakes, the companion event for colts and geldings.

For Plesa, either filly winning would be fine.

“Both are coming up to the stakes excellent,” Plesa said. “We had success in the stakes last year, and we’re hoping to duplicate that.”

Tulira’s Star faced the toughest assignment last time, finishing third in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga after getting sandwiched badly at the start.

“She didn’t get the position she probably needed in that race,” said trainer Rick Mettee. “She made a decent middle move, and then she got a little tired. Joe Bravo, who rode her there, said she ran a little better than it looked.”

In the Fort Monmouth, Ju Ju Eyeballs makes her second start of the year, having returned from a 267-day layoff to capture the Klassy Briefcase Stakes here last month. The hugely rewarding $15,000 claim by trainer Jason Servis for the Mr Amore Stable is 6 for 10 since the barn change, including three stakes victories at Monmouth.

Colleen Stakes (Race 8)

KEY CONTENDERS

Perpetual Novena (Last Beyer: 54)
◗ Showed poise in winning debut, rallying between rivals after rating kindly. That professionalism will aid her from the rail.
◗ The team of Plesa and jockey Paco Lopez is winning 29 percent of its races at Monmouth over the last two meets.

Tulira’s Star (Last 2 Beyers: 47-88)
◗ Rang up an 88 Beyer in her debut victory on the synthetic track at Arlington. She joined Team Valor after the win and immediately jumped into the Schuylerville, finishing third.

Neilinger (Last Beyer: 63)
◗ One of only two fillies in the race with turf experience, missing by only 1 3/4 lengths at Saratoga in her debut.

Fort Monmouth (Race 10)

KEY CONTENDERS

Ju Ju Eyeballs (Last 3 Beyers: 90-75-88)
◗ Returned from a lengthy layoff to post a career-best Beyer.
◗ She is 3 for 3 on grass at Monmouth, including two stakes victories.
◗ The team of Servis and Lopez has won at a 43 percent clip over the last two seasons.

Allaboutcaroline (Last 3 Beyers: 80-84-66)
◗ The gray filly has won two straight, including a second-level win here despite a wide trip.

“She’s found a niche sprinting on the grass,” Mettee said. “She’s got tactical speed. She’s a little better when she’s held up and can produce her run. This is obviously deeper waters.”