Pompay barn live in two allowances

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Monmouth Park race office came up with a solid card for Wednesday afternoon, with four first-level allowances among the nine races.

A $51,000 race for New Jersey-bred sprinters is the richest, thanks to the $10,000 enhancement for statebreds. The other three are worth $41,000.

The final two are both set for 1 1/16 miles, with one on the main track, the other on the turf. Trainer Terri Pompay has a strong contender for each.

In the dirt division, Pompay will send out Blank Check, a six-length maiden winner last time out on July 30.

A 3-year-old colt, Blank Check will be making his sixth start, and the third straight around two turns. He picked up his game with the added distance.

"He figured it all out last time, and he's been training really well," Pompay said. "When he switched leads down the stretch, he just opened up. It was like the lightbulb clicked on.

"It looks like he's developing into a nice horse. We always knew he needed more ground, but he was kind of immature."

In the turf allowance, the Pompay-trained Eon will be making his second start on grass. The first effort came on a good course on the rainy Haskell Day card, and Eon was fortunate to escape a pileup when a rival clipped heels and fell.

Eon took a bump in the incident, but pressed on to get third.

"It was right then that it really started raining, and the turf was already a little soft," Pompay said. "The horse that fell hit us, but we got lucky. My horse was game. He just kept right on going."

This is the second time Eon has landed in Pompay's barn this year. A son of Fusaichi Pegasus, Eon was claimed for $15,000 from trainer Nick Zito out of a maiden race at Gulfstream Park in February, and was immediately reclaimed by Zito next time out for $35,000.

Eon was reacquired by My Purple Haze Stables following a second-place finish at Belmont Park in June.

"When we had him before, I always wanted to try him on the turf," Pompay said. "We never got a chance to try him on it then. He looks like he's really going to like it. I don't think we really had him all that tight last time because he had a little time off after we got him back. I expect him to run really well."