Magic Skier tries turf with Bravo

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Magic Skier, a winner of two of three races at Monmouth Park this season, will make her turf debut Saturday in the $60,000 Thomas J. Malley Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, one of three grass stakes on the card that also includes the Grade 3, $150,000 Red Bank Stakes and the $60,000 Bob Harding Stakes.

Magic Skier will face seven rivals in the 5 1/2-furlong Malley with the meet's leading rider, Joe Bravo, replacing apprentice Stacy Podobinski.

"Nothing against Stacy, but you don't get the apprentice allowance in stakes, and we were able to get Bravo," said trainer Mary Hartmann. "All his experience will help the filly in her first turf race."

Magic Skier, a daughter of Appealing Skier, had her lone loss of the season in the off-the-turf Crank It Up Stakes, where the filly rallied to get fourth.

"She has never been on the turf before, but her sire was a good turf runner," Hartmann said. "We've been looking to get her on the grass all summer and this is a great spot."

It could also be a good spot for Lucy Valentine, who will also be making her grass debut. She rolled to a 4 1/2-length win in a second-level allowance race at Delaware in her most recent outing.

Her lone stakes experience was a third-place finish in the five-furlong Xtra Heat Stakes at Pimlico in April.

Mambo With G, a $25,000 claim by trainer Mark Shuman in May at Pimlico, will make her third straight stakes start, the last two in turf routes.

In the Staybridge Suites Stakes at Monmouth on Aug. 5, Mambo With G opened a 13-length lead before fading to third. She made her next start at Saratoga in the Dynasty Stakes on Aug. 31 and was hampered by an awkward start. She wound up beaten 22 1/2 lengths.

Spanish Lullaby won her turf debut last time out, rallying to take a first-level allowance here on Aug. 17 after steadying leaving the chute.

Harding: Approved by Dylan goes long

The Bob Harding Stakes, named for the late turf writer for the Newark Star-Ledger, gives grass horses a rare chance to run 1 3/8 miles at Monmouth.

Approved by Dylan, trained by Kelly Breen, is a turf marathoner who should thrive at the distance.

The 4-year-old colt won at 1 1/2 miles at Gulfstream Park in February. He most recently ran third in the 1 3/16-mile, off-the-turf John's Call Stakes at Saratoga for Breen, Monmouth's leading trainer.

Spring House is a closer who could have used added real estate in some of his races this season. He came from far back to miss by only a half-length in the Grade 3 Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap at Calder on April 29. He closed strongly on the outside get third in the 1 1/16-mile Battlefield Stakes at Monmouth on June 12.

Most recently, Spring House, a 4-year-old gelding trained by John Hennig, rallied to win a third-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles here.

Revved Up, winner of the Battlefield Stakes last year here, returns to Monmouth for trainer Christophe Clement. The 8-year-old gelding has been freshened since a 15 1/4-length drubbing in the Grade 2 Northern Dancer Stakes over soft turf at 1 1/2 miles at Woodbine on July 23.

Praying for Cash goes to Pletcher

Praying for Cash, a game second behind Bluegrass Cat in Monmouth's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, has been transferred from Breen to Todd Pletcher. The colt left Monmouth earlier this week for Pletcher's Belmont Park barn.

Under Breen's care, Praying for Cash compiled a record of 3-2-1 in 7 starts, including a victory in Monmouth's Grade 3 Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes.

"He was meant to be a nice horse, he acted like a nice horse, and he ran like a nice horse," Breen said.

Breen developed the colt for the ownership team of Hurley, Gallo, and Scire.

"Nobody is happy about it, but we're moving on," said Breen. "There were a lot of chefs in the stew, and that makes for a bad soup."

Joey P. done for the year

Joey P. will be sidelined the rest of the year because of upcoming throat surgery to clear a breathing problem.

A 4-year-old New Jersey-bred, Joey P. suffered a third straight defeat on Sept. 4 when he stopped badly to finish seventh in the Icecapade Stakes. The gelding started the meet on a promising note with a pair of stakes wins before hitting the skids.

"You can't run when you can't get air," said trainer Ben Perkins. Jr. "He has a breathing problem that is getting worse."

* The $100,000 City Zip Stakes failed to fill for Saturday with only four horses entered. The Monmouth racing office will try again for Sunday. The City Zip, for 3-year-old sprinters, was rained out last Saturday.