Experience gives Posse Dreamin edge among 2-year-old maidens

The Friday card at Monmouth Park finishes strong, with a 2-year-old maiden race, a second-level optional-claiming turf sprint for fillies and mares, and a third-level optional-claiming race slotted as races 7-9. The card concludes with a $12,500 claimer on grass.

Races 7-9 are linked by a 50-cent pick three, the four races by a 50-cent pick four.

The 2-year-old race is particularly interesting.

Race 7: 2-year-old maiden race

KEY CONTENDERS

POSSE DREAMIN (Last 2 Beyers 49-61)

The five-furlong race is comprised of six first-time starters and four horses who have previously raced. Posse Dreamin has shown the most of the horses who have already run, and it will take a big effort by one of the first-timers to beat him.

In his first two starts, Posse Dreamin has finished second to Souper Colossal, a $350,000 yearling buy, and Stanford, a $550,000, 2-year-olds-in-training purchase.

Posse Dreamin was bred and is owned and trained by Edwin Broome. On Wednesday, Broome said he was not happy that Posse Dreamin ended up dueling for the lead in his most recent start and that he would like to see him come from off the pace Friday.

THE COMISH (First-time starter)

You never know for sure, but The Comish could be the quickest first-timer in the field. The Comish, a $75,000 buy at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co. April sale, is out of the mare Pentelicus Gold, who has produced four foals to race. Her offspring have not been all that successful, but they have been primarily sprinters.

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. has won with 16 percent of his 2-year-old first-time starters over the past five years, according to DRF ’s Formulator, and has a $1.63 return on investment with them.

Many of the other first-time starters in here might prefer longer distances.

◗ WILD ZAMBEZI is a son of Giant’s Causeway out of the Grade 1-winning mare Wild Spirit, who won 9 of 15 starts and $984,000, including the Ruffian, Delaware Handicap, and Shuvee. Wild Spirit’s foals have been primarily distance horses. Wild Zambezi enters off a nice series of Monmouth works for Todd Pletcher.

◗ Pletcher also has JIMBARAN BAY in here. Jimbaran Bay is out of the mare Untarnished, whose six foals to race have won a combined 14 races. All of the wins have been at a mile or longer.

◗ Trainer John Servis also has two entrants. ARECIBO, a $100,000 yearling buy, is out of the mare Ava Darling, whose best foal has been Safe Crossing, a distance turf mare who won 5 of 13 starts and $187,000.

MAMIILIO enters off one half-mile workout at Parx. His dam, Sue’s Last Dance, a foal of 1995, has produced offspring who have won a combined $1.4 million. Of that amount, $1.1 million was earned in dirt routes.

◗ GOLDEN LUCK is a $28,000 purchase at the OBS April sale. She is out of Mythical Brownie, whose four foals to race have won five races between six furlongs and a mile and four races between a mile and 1 3/16 miles. She is trained by Randi Persaud.