Rainbow Heir heavily favored in Reilly
Rainbow Heir will be heavily favored to begin his 5-year-old campaign on a winning note when he faces seven New Jersey-bred rivals Saturday in the John J. Reilly Handicap at Monmouth Park.
Rainbow Heir has been brilliant on occasion during his two seasons of racing. He won the open Teddy Drone Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths on the Haskell Invitational undercard last season, and in 2013, he rolled to a five-length victory in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore.
Against statebreds, he is 3 for 4. The only problem is that his one New Jersey-bred loss came last year in the Reilly when making his first start of the year, as he will be doing again Saturday. The six-furlong Reilly also is a handicap, and Rainbow Heir will have to carry 125 pounds and concede five to 10 pounds to the opposition.
Still, Ben Perkins Jr., who has trained Rainbow Heir throughout his career for owner and breeder Ebby Novak’s New Farm, has put a nice series of four works into him, capped by a 59.40-second bullet from the gate May 21. The second-fastest five-furlong move that morning was 1:00, and it wasn’t from a standing start.
The next stakes for sprinters at the Monmouth meet is the $75,000 Mr. Prospector on June 28.
Key contenders
Rainbow Heir (Last 3 Beyers: 86-104-102)
* The 104 Beyer Speed Figure that Rainbow Heir was given for his win in the New Jersey Breeders Handicap last year and the 102 he earned in the Teddy Drone are the only triple-digit Beyers run by anyone in this field. The next-highest Beyer is a 98 given to Zealevo for winning a second-level optional claimer at Parx in March 2014.
* There is relatively little early speed in this field. If Rainbow Heir clears Zealevo – and he should – the race could be over.
Javerre (Last 3 Beyers: 78-90-92)
* This 6-year-old is a hard-knocking open-company sprinter based at Parx with trainer Cathal Lynch. This will be his first start against New Jersey-breds since June 2013.
* He doesn’t have much early speed and likely will need someone to keep Rainbow Heir busy up front if he is going to catch him.
Loverbil (Last 3 Beyers: 82-82-92)
* Six-year-old has won four of his last five starts, all in Florida, for trainer Jorge Navarro, with his only recent loss coming to Honor Code and Private Zone in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap at a mile.
* He does his best running from off the pace and has a similar style to Javerre.
* Navarro, the leading trainer at Monmouth the last two years, went 8-2-2-1 last weekend with his first starters at the meet.
Zealevo (Last 3 Beyers: 77-82-69)
* Will be making his first start of the year for trainer Dimitrios Synnefias but has better early lick than most of the other entrants. It’s not inconceivable that he could chase Rainbow Heir around the track and fill out the exacta.