Salvator Mile an ideal spot for Diamond King

The Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile would be the feature race on most days of the Monmouth meet, but under the new bundled-stakes strategy implemented last year it will serve as an appetizer Saturday to the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes.

The four-stakes card will also include a pair of $75,000 stakes, the Boiling Springs, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies, and the John J. Reilly Handicap, a six-furlong race for New Jersey-breds.

The Salvator drew a field of nine and looks like an ideal spot for Diamond King to score his first stakes win since the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park in April 2018. Diamond King has run some nice races for trainer John Servis following the Tesio, including a runner-up effort to Axelrod in the Smarty Jones at Parx. In the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, he finished third, beaten a head by the winner, Lone Sailor.

“In Oklahoma, he made the lead and pulled himself up,” Servis said. “Then he dug in again, got beat, and galloped out way in front of everyone. That was a tough one.”

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Diamond King has arguably run the best two races of his career this season as a 4-year-old. He galloped by 3 3/4 lengths in a high-level optional-claiming race at Gulfstream Park in March and then was second by a half-length in the Charles Town Classic under Javier Castellano. It was 5 1/2 lengths back to War Story in third.

“I think the three turns got to him at Charles Town,” Servis said. “Javier said he came off the bit on the backstretch and then he started running again. Maybe he thought the race was over.”

Although Diamond King didn’t get the money at Charles Town, Servis said he is a better horse this year than last.

“He’s definitely matured,” Servis said. “He’s more professional, more focused.”

The two-turn mile of the Salvator should suit Diamond King well. Frankie Pennington will be in for the mount.

Bal Harbour and California Night are top contenders.

Bal Harbour, who will be making his first start since January, runs well fresh for Todd Pletcher and has won the last two times he has returned from layoffs. Joe Bravo rides.

California Night is in the best form of his career, with three wins in his last four starts for Mike Maker. Most recently, he went wire to wire to win a seven-furlong optional claimer at Belmont Park. Reylu Gutierrez will be aboard.

Diamond King, Bal Harbour, and California Night all have speed and it will be interesting to see how the pace shakes out. If the early fractions are hot, the race could set up for late-running Sunny Ridge.

Brown duo strong in Boiling Springs

The Chad Brown-trained duo of Clause and Beautiful Lover could go postward as the top betting choices in the Boiling Springs, which has a field of 11, plus one also-eligible.

Clause rallied from ninth position to win her career debut going a mile on turf at Gulfstream Park in February, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 83. Based on that performance she was sent off as the 8-5 favorite over 10 rivals in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland. Clause never got untracked over a soft course that day and checked in eighth.

She has worked four times since – once at Keeneland and three times at Monmouth – and can be expected to turn in a more representative effort Saturday under Antonio Gallardo.

Beautiful Lover, a Florida-bred, has won two of her three starts, including an open first-level optional claimer at Aqueduct on April 10. Bravo will be aboard from post 1.

A number of others in the field have upside, including the Bill Mott-trained Aunt Hattie, who is 2 for 6. Mott will add blinkers to her equipment for the Boiling Springs.

Amatteroftime tops Reilly

Amatteroftime is the 124-pound highweight in the Reilly Handicap. He won three of his four starts in New Jersey-bred company last year at Monmouth, including the New Jersey Breeders Handicap.

He was sent to trainer Jeff Runco by owner Ebby Novak after the Monmouth season but now is back in the barn of Jason Servis.

Cozy Lover, 121 pounds, will make his first start against statebred company since 2017 for Laurel-based horseman Claudio Gonzalez, who claimed him for $35,000 in February. He has been facing open optional-claiming company in Maryland.

Chunnel, 121, will be seeking to regain his best form for Jorge Navarro. Chunnel won the statebred Charles Hesse III Handicap last year.