Don't Stop Dreamin tough on turf

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Don't Stop Dreamin has found a comfortable niche on the turf. The 4-year-old has a two wins and nose loss in her last three starts, all on the grass.

She faces her biggest test Saturday, stepping up to a stakes for the first time in the $60,000 Klassy Briefcase for fillies and mares, run on turf at 5 1/2 furlongs out of the chute at Monmouth Park.

"She liked the turf as soon as I tried her there," trainer Edwin Broome said. "In fact, since she went on the grass, she doesn't like the dirt any more. That's okay, as long as she keeps running like she does on grass."

Her Beyer Speed Figures perked up with the surface change, ranging from 88 to 83 over the last three races after topping out at 73 in her prior seven.

Eddie Castro will be aboard as Don't Stop Dreamin faces eight rivals.

Beau Dare will be looking for her second straight Monmouth stakes win for leading trainer Bruce Levine.

She got up by a neck to take a similar race, the Candy Eclair Stakes, on June 7. Similar to Don't Stop Dreamin, Beau Dare has thrived in grass sprints with 2 wins and 2 seconds in her last 4.

Fancy Diamond makes her turf debut for trainer Tony Dutrow. Runner-up to Wild Gams in the My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park in May, she has had four consecutive grass breezes at Aqueduct since then in preparation for the surface shift.

Broome doing it his way

Broome is closing in on a significant milestone: 1,000 wins. Through Thursday, he had 992.

Unlike most trainers at Monmouth, Broome owns most of his horses, either individually or in partnership with Richard Malouf. He does not have any other outside clients. By Broome's estimation, 900 of his wins have come with horses he owned.

"When we get phone calls from potential owners, it's, 'Thank you very much, but no thank you.' We have 33 horses here and we don't need any more. Enough is enough and you've got to know your limits."

Broome, 56, has been a Monmouth regular since 1994 since he arrived from Philadelphia Park. He has won four training and owner titles at the Meadowlands and three owner titles at Monmouth.

Broome learned the business from his grandfather Carl Auwarter. He operated a crane for many years while saving enough money to get to the racetrack.

"I was my own client starting out," Broome said. "I had some owners but now it's me and Richie."

Success with claimers has been a foundation of Broome's success with Don't Stop Dreamin a case in point. Claimed at Calder in December 2006 for $25,000, Don't Stop Dreaming has won seven races since then and almost $180,000.

Broome is having another solid Monmouth season. He is the leading owner at the meet and is second to Levine in the trainer standings.

* The $60,000 Goldfinch Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares, the expected supporting feature for Saturday, did not fill and race was rescheduled for Sunday.