Monmouth Park: Motion can complete stakes double with Proud Pearl

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Graham Motion shipped Howe Great to Monmouth Park from his base at Maryland’s Fair Hills training center to capture the Jersey Derby last weekend as the 3-10 favorite. Motion will try to also take the companion event for fillies on Saturday with Proud Pearl in the $60,000 Desert Vixen for 3-year-olds on the turf.

The price figures to be much higher in this wide-open 1 1/16-mile race, which lacks a standout graded runner like Howe Great.

Proud Pearl is a case in point. This will be her fourth straight stakes appearance. Her best effort in the last three outings was a fourth-place finish in the Lady Charles Town on the main track. This will be her first try on grass since departing England at the end of last season.

Carlos Marquez Jr. will be aboard from the outside slot.

Senator Beck was headed in the right direction until running last in Grade 3 Boiling Springs here last month. The lone New Jersey-bred in the Desert Vixen, Senator Beck won at the Meadowlands on May 5 before rallying for third in the Little Silver Stakes on May 27.

“She kind of lost her action going into the far turn,” Trainer Tim Hills said of the Boiling Springs. “Her hind end kind of fell out from under her, and she lost all momentum. We’ve had some chiropractic work done on her. That seemed to really help a lot and she’s had a couple of good works since then.”

Paco Lopez will ride.

The Todd Pletcher barn sends out the uncoupled pair of Peace Preserver and Dear Lavinia.

Peace Preserver makes a second straight appearance over the course, having rallied from 11th to capture a first-level allowance earlier this month. Elvis Trujillo will ride.

Dear Lavinia adds Lasix for her second U.S. start. A three-time winner in France, the filly – who is now owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay – was the trailer in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf last November.

She has run once this year, finishing fifth at Saint-Cloud in France.

Kendrick Carmouche gets the mount.

The trainer-jockey combination of Christophe Clement and Joe Bravo are 4 for 6 at the meet. They team up again with Composition, a maiden winner here late last month.

Tapajo makes her turf debut after finishing well up the track in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Candy Cat Can and Raro complete the field.