OCEANPORT, N.J. – Lochte and Hard Enough, both graded stakes winners this season, are the featured players in the $75,000 Elkwood Stakes on Friday at Monmouth Park. The Elkwood kicks off the stakes-filled holiday weekend at the Jersey Shore. The $100,000 Long Branch for 3-year-olds, the last of the local preps for the $1 million, Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 27, tops the Saturday card. Sunday brings the meet’s top turf event, the Grade 1 United Nations, and the Grade 3 Salvator Mile. The one-mile Elkwood on turf proved very popular. The race drew a full field of 10, with six more hopefuls sitting on the also-eligible list. Spa City Fever also was entered for the main track only. Weather is always a concern for a grass stakes, especially with rain in the forecast for Wednesday, Thursday, and perhaps Friday. Trainer Marcus Vitali is well positioned no matter what happens, with the entry of Lochte and Midnight Cello. The condition of Monmouth’s course will determine how he sets up his weekend. Vitali also nominated Lochte, the 39-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February, to the United Nations. If there is a surface switch Friday, Lochte will remain in the barn until Sunday. DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Lochte. Trainer Marcus Vitali has no wins in 25 starts over the past five years in turf routes at Monmouth.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan :: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs :: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts Midnight Cello becomes a top contender if the race is rained off the grass. He won an off-the-turf allowance at Delaware Park most recently and was a close second under similar circumstances in the Grade 3 Miami Mile Handicap. “It just depends on what the weather does,” Vitali said. No matter where he runs, Lochte will be looking to regroup after a poor outing in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes, the local U.N. prep last month. It was the first start for the 4-year-old gelding since a third-place finish behind two-time defending Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April. ::DRF Live: Get real-time updates and insights from DRF reporters and handicappers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday “With the time off, I think he needed a little more than what I gave him training-wise,” Vitali said. “I think I out-thought myself. Fortunately, he’s doing well and headed in the right direction.” Hard Enough, 3-0-2 in six races over this course, rated nicely before taking charge in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes here in May. Last time out, he set a pressured pace in the Monmouth Stakes before fading to 10th. A solid half-mile breeze in 48.60 seconds last weekend has trainer Bobby Dibona feeling confident. “His last work before the Monmouth Stakes was a little slow,” Dibona said of a half-mile work in 52 seconds. “The latest drill was more like him. He doesn’t need to be on the lead. We’d like to see another nice trip like he had in the Red Bank.”