Strategic Dreams to try turf in Blue Sparkler

This weekend at Monmouth Park is the calm before the six-stakes Haskell storm next Sunday. The feature on Saturday is the $60,000 Blue Sparkler, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Although the Haskell field is still coming together, the probable starters include Kentucky Derby runner-up and Blue Grass Stakes winner Good Magic and Risen Star winner and Preakness runner-up Bravazo. The undercard includes four Grade 3 races – the Monmouth Cup, Oceanport, Matchmaker, and Molly Pitcher.

The Blue Sparkler has drawn a wide-open field of eight that includes Strategic Dreams from the stable of Rudy Rodriguez; Auldwood Lane, trained by Jason Servis; and the Wesley Ward-trained Kentucky shipper Elizabeth Darcy.

Strategic Dreams will be dropping in class and making her turf debut in the Blue Sparkler. She was entered for turf in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly at Belmont Park in May, but the race was moved to a sloppy main track, and she finished third. Most recently, she was seventh in the $150,000 Jersey Girl at Belmont.

A two-time stakes winner, Strategic Dreams added blinkers for the Jersey Girl, but Rodriguez is removing them for the Blue Sparkler. Expect her to come from off the pace under Albin Jimenez.

Auldwood Lane finished second on turf to Miz Mayhem in the five-furlong Cedar Key at Gulfstream Park in April. Miz Mayhem has come back to win two more stakes and extend her winning streak to five.

Last month, Auldwood Lane rallied from seventh to win a first-level allowance on the Monmouth turf at the distance of the Blue Sparkler, which starts in the infield sprint chute. Paco Lopez will be back aboard.

Elizabeth Darcy finished fourth as the favorite in a second-level turf sprint at Indiana Grand in her most recent race, but has worked three times since then and is eligible to rebound. She is fast and has run races good enough to win this. Eric Cancel rides.

Judge Lee has weakened in back-to-back two-turn turf stakes, both for Kate DeMasi. The shorter distance of this race may be just what she needs, and she likely will be overlooked in the betting.

Miss Deplorable, who is based at Delaware Park with trainer Baltazar Galvan, finished sixth in her first two starts. She showed immediate improvement when switched to turf and comes into this off a three-length maiden win.