Rainbow Heir tries turf in My Frenchman

The $60,000 My Frenchman on Saturday at Monmouth Park is an open-company turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up. It just so happens that three contenders in the 5 1/2-furlong race are New Jersey-breds.

Rainbow Heir, Saucy Don, and Oak Bluffs are among the best New Jersey-breds in training. In the My Frenchman, they will square off against Dreamsgonewild, the winner of the John McSorley Stakes at Monmouth in his most recent start, and the New York shipper Summation Time.

Rainbow Heir will be making the third start of his 5-year-old season. In his first start of the meet, he weakened to finish fourth in the John J. Reilly following a seven-month layoff. He tired to finish fifth last out behind Salutos Amigos in the open Mr. Prospector Stakes.

A graded stakes winner of 7 of 14 starts, he will be making his turf debut Saturday.

Saucy Don has won both of the New Jersey-bred stakes for males run at the meet. He was up in deep stretch to win the six-furlong Reilly, then stretched out to a mile on turf to win the Dan Horn. He enters off a sixth-place finish in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga.

Oak Bluffs was claimed for $20,000 by Jamie Ness at Gulfstream Park in February and has since won four of five starts, including three in a row at Monmouth. This will be his stakes debut.

My Frenchman, race 10

Key contenders

Rainbow Heir (Last 3 Beyers: 72-85-86)

◗ Trainer Ben Perkins Jr. has worked him twice on grass in preparation for his turf debut. This is a good spot for him to get back on track.

Saucy Don (Last 3 Beyers: 88-83-89)

◗ He was beaten only 2 3/4 lengths at Saratoga in the Lucky Coin on July 27 and enters this in the best form of his career for trainer Terri Pompay.

Dreamsgonewild (Last 3 Beyers: 92-78-72)

◗ Won the McSorley Stakes over this course and distance last out while making his second start of the year for trainer Bruce Alexander.

◗ Has had two months off since the McSorley and comes in fresh. Looks ready to fire his best shot right back.

Oak Bluffs (Last 3 Beyers: 89-87-69)

◗ Has improved markedly over the last year but faces the toughest test of his career.

Summation Time (Last 3 Beyers: 86-85-87)

◗ Was beaten 3 1/2 lengths – but only a neck for second – last out in a third-level optional-claiming race at Belmont Park for Christophe Clement. The winner, Shore Runner, has won five of his last six, including the Lucky Coin at Saratoga.

Heaven’s Runway (97-93-79)

◗ Earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure while running down Bourbon Courage and Fast Anna as the longest shot in a four-horse field last out in the Hockessin Stakes at Delaware Park for trainer Tim Ice. Fast Anna cut out blazing fractions that day and came back to the field late.

◗ He finished second in this race a year ago to Bern Identity, who was very sharp that day.