Scholastic Giant live off latest

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The $80,000 Twin Lights Stakes on the turf Wednesday at Monmouth Park attracted seven 3-year-old fillies with varying degrees of experience, ranging from a stakes winner to a maiden.

Scholastic Giant is somewhere in between. She is stakes-placed, having run second in the Pin Oak Stud Hildene Stakes at six furlongs on the main track at Laurel in December.

Scholastic Giant made her last three starts on the grass, winning a first-level allowance race here last time out with a strong front-running effort.

"There wasn't any speed in the race," said Rob Rader, Mark Hennig's assistant trainer at Monmouth. "We took her back in her previous race because she wasn't finishing when she was up close. I looked up and she was on the lead, which wasn't that surprising. She's only a little filly and I figured the mile and an eighth might be too long for her. Turning for home, she just took off."

Scholastic Giant went on to win by 3 3/4 lengths while earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Hennig was shopping for a second-level allowance race when this spot came up. The Twin Lights at 1 1/8 miles was originally scheduled for Saturday but failed to fill. The race office brought the stakes back and drummed up additional interest.

"If she improves a little off the last race, she's got a chance," Rader said.

Miss Savannah Rose is the lone stakes winner in the group. She captured the off-the-turf Rhudy Memorial for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park on July 1. She finished fifth most recently at Delaware in a third-level allowance on the main track.

Tease is the maiden, winless in nine tries. Trainer Anthony Margotta will add blinkers after the filly ran third for a $45,000 tag at Delaware.

Rasta Farian owns the superior Beyers in the race, running a 92 in each of her last two, both allowance races on the grass. Two starts back, she was a dominant front-running winner at Delaware. She employed similar tactics last time out in a second-level allowance at Saratoga and was beaten by only a half-length.

Rain Shower made a strong late run to get fourth most recently in Monmouth's Eatontown Staybridge Suites Stakes.

Crystal Current has shown steady improvement since trainer Bill Mott switched her to the turf three starts back.