Monmouth Park: Pompay goes with Managed Account for Sapling

The Grade 3, $100,000 Sapling Stakes, the premier event for 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park, proved popular with 11 entered for the six-furlong race on Saturday.

It unfortunately shares the same weekend with the Grade 1 Hopeful, which is where trainer Terri Pompay is sending the precocious Currency Swap, who is based at Monmouth.

Pompay goes to “Plan B” with Managed Account, a debut winner here by 5 1/4 lengths on Aug. 13.

“He ran a really good race,” Pompay said. “We’ll see how he fits with this kind of group. He’s training well. I would have liked to have seen a little more time between races, but you hate to see the Sapling go by and not be a participant.”

Space Traveler, who drew the outside post, also won first time out for Pletcher.

“He came out of the race in good order,” said assistant Anthony Sciametta. “He hasn’t missed a beat. He’s training well. He seems like he’s a nice horse.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen, already a three-time Sapling winner with He’s Got Grit (2005), Lantana Mob (2007), and Western Smoke (2009), sends out the uncoupled duo of Voodoo Daddy and She Digs Me, winner of the Tyro Stakes, the Sapling prep.