Toorizziforoy will like this distance

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Hudson River Starter Handicap, the $37,500 featured event Thursday at Monmouth Park, offers an interesting wrinkle.

The Hudson, a one-mile race that drew six runners, will be open to horses bred in New Jersey and New York who have started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2004-2005. It is rare to see a race that accommodates horses from the adjoining states.

"It's a concept that might catch on," said trainer Greg Sacco.

Sacco sends out Toorizziforoy, a 4-year-old gelding who should appreciate the one-mile distance after starting the season in a pair of sprints.

"He's coming up to this great," Sacco said. "We were looking to stretch him out. This was perfect timing."

ran his best career races last season in two-turn contests against open company. His final start of the campaign resulted in a 5 1/4-length win in a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles in the mud at Monmouth on Sept. 18.

"We put him away for the winter because they weren't running any Jersey-bred route races at The Meadowlands for him," Sacco said. "We brought him back sprinting, but sprinting is not his game. He doesn't have that turn of foot in the sprints."

Toorizziforoy carries 114 pounds.

is the high weight at 122 pounds and the horse to beat. A 6-year-old gelding, he has won over $300,000 and has the best route and stakes credentials in the field, including a second in the John J. Reilly at six furlongs and a third in the Bernie Dowd going a mile and 70 yards. Both of his starts this year have come in statebred handicaps at this meet; he finished second and third.

was an interesting claim for a bargain price of $4,000 on April 12 by trainer Kelly Breen at Philadelphia Park. He showed little in his first start for the new barn in a route at Philadelphia Park, but bounced back when he returned to Monmouth, beating $8,000 statebred claimers in a sprint.

Vow has considerable back class. He has earned $262,260 and captured the 2003 Slady Castle Handicap for New Jersey-breds at a mile and 70 yards.

Whizbang, the lone New York-bred in the field, makes his Monmouth debut. He has one once in 7 tries this year, in a statebred allowance sprint at Belmont Park on May 20.

Second Collection, claimed for $25,000 last time out, makes his debut for trainer Charlie Hadry. Karakorum Tuxedo completes the field.