Midnight Cello has versatility on his side for Red Bank

Given the likelihood that the turf course at Monmouth Park will either be soft or unusable for Saturday’s Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes, Midnight Cello might have the best credentials for whatever the conditions are when the one-mile race is run.

With heavy rain in the forecast Friday, the one-mile Red Bank could be contested on soft ground or shifted to the main track. Either way, Midnight Cello should feel comfortable.

As a 3-year-old last season, Midnight Cello romped by nearly seven lengths on good ground and finished second twice under similar conditions, including a head loss in the 1 1/8-mile Tropical Park Derby at Calder. Most recently, Midnight Cello outran his 16-1 odds to finish a close second in a field of 11 in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Miami Mile.[bc_video_id:324707:]

Chamois, a 4-year-old making his first start since November, and Admiral Perry, returning to turf after four straight races on Polytrack, also have performed well on non-firm turf.

In his four most recent races on good ground, Chamois was beaten less than two lengths in the Grade 3 Hill Prince and won twice. He has been off since winning a minor stakes at Aqueduct six months ago. Trainer Christophe Clement is 0 for 9 over the last five years with turf runners returning from a layoff of more than 180 days in graded stakes.

Admiral Perry, a 6-year-old trained by Shug McGaughey, was a good second last summer in a third-level optional $100,000 claimer contested on good ground at Belmont and won under similar footing three years ago at Tampa Bay Downs. On the downside, he is winless in 14 starts since taking a second-level optional $32,000 claimer at Monmouth in July 2012.

If the race gets shifted to dirt, main-track-only entrants Behemoth and Spa City Fever would become serious contenders.

Two starts ago, Behemoth upset the John Campbell Handicap at 11-1 at Laurel Park. He’s also 3 for 6 on wet surfaces and 2 for 4 at Monmouth.

Spa City Fever comes in from New York for trainer David Jacobson. He has three wins and a second in his last four starts when he has raced at distances between seven furlongs and a mile.