Sacco has plenty of Jersey Juvenile talent

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Greg Sacco will be looking for a stakes sweep on Saturday at Monmouth Park in the $70,000 colt and filly divisions of the Jersey Juvenile for 2-year-olds.

With the Monmouth season soon coming to an end, this is the last major event of the year for New Jersey-breds.

When handicapping the two divisions, you have to circle Sacco’s three runners as live contenders in the six-furlong races

Ima Jersey Girl, a homebred for the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable, made a strong impression winning her debut last week. Back on short rest, Ima Jersey Girl faces seven rivals in the filly division.

The quick turnaround, while a concern, is mitigated by the fact she won so easily.

“She did it so effortlessly the first time,” Sacco said. “We walked her two days and sent her back to the track on Tuesday and she was just full of herself. It’s not an ideal situation, but the window for Jersey-breds is closing. As good as she looks, we’re hoping all systems are a go for Saturday.”

Ima Jersey Girl cruised to a 4 1/2-length win, posting a Beyer Speed Figure of 63.

Breathoffresheir and Readybdancing look like the main challengers.

Breathoffresheir adds blinkers after a pair of sharp tries in her first two races.

After winning her debut against New Jersey breds, she came back to run second in an open allowance, pairing up 65 Beyer Figures in her two races.

Readybdancing returns to Monmouth for Chicago-based trainer Terrel Gore. She has a win and a second in two previous races in New Jersey. Most recently, Readybdancing, a $155,000 purchase at Ocala in February, missed by less than a length in a $62,000 allowance race at Hoosier Park.

In the colt division, Sacco sends out Loving Dove and Voodoo Charm.

After his maiden score at five furlongs, Loving Dove ran in a pair of Monmouth open stakes going long against impressive company.

He was seventh in the Continental Mile against a field that included Pluck, the winner last weekend of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Loving Dove ran fifth in his latest effort, the Garden State Stakes, to Sweet Ducky, who came back to capture the Seton Hall University Stakes.

“He wasn’t beaten that far in either race,” Sacco said. “Being back with New Jersey-breds and the cut back in distance will be good for him.”

Voodoo Charm makes his second start, missing by only a neck in his debut.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Sacco said. “He took a lot dirt that day, split horses, and just fell short to a horse who had a couple of races under belt. You like to have a winner going into a stakes, but that was like a winning race.”

Uncle Otto will try to extend his winning streak to three. After his maiden win here, Uncle Otto captured a restricted stakes at Delaware Park for trainer Skip Einhorn.

Aside from his second start, where stumbled and tossed the rider, Porcini Prince has run well in his other four races with a win and three seconds. He drew off at the end for his maiden victory most recently as the 1-5 favorite for trainer J. Willard Thompson.