Twist and Pop vs. Capeside Lady

OCEANPORT, N.J. - A well-rested Twist and Pop and the mud-loving Capeside Lady headline the $70,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes Saturday at Monmouth Park. The card also includes the $55,000 Crank It Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Twist and Pop was a very shrewd claim for $22,500 by trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. in March of last year at Aqueduct.

The mare stepped up her game for the new barn, winning four races, including Monmouth's Lighthouse Stakes. She thrived on the Jersey Shore with a record of 3-2-0 in six starts at Monmouth last summer.

"We had her here last year and did extremely well with her," said Larry Walters, who is running the New Jersey division while Dutrow serves a 60-day suspension. "She's the kind of filly that's got a lot of speed. She holds up well and she likes Monmouth Park."

The mare, now 6, made her last start of 2004 in the College of New Jersey Stakes at The Meadowlands on Nov. 13, and it was another quality effort. Twist and Pop missed by only a nose after racing in tight quarters nearing the turn.

After an extended vacation, it's back to work in this 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares with Julian Pimentel aboard.

"We gave her some time to freshen up," said Walters. "She's training well and she's ready."

has had a series of five-furlong workouts in preparation for her return, including a bullet drill of 1:00 on June 11.

also turned in a recent bullet work. She went five furlongs in 1:00.40 on June 12.

Capeside Lady, from the Todd Pletcher barn, would love a moist track. She romped in a pair of off track stakes last summer at Monmouth. Capeside Lady won the off-the-turf Little Silver Stakes by 13 1/2 lengths in the slop and followed up with a 6 1/2-length victory in the muddy Grade 2 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks.

"She's training really well," said assistant trainer Anthony Sciametta. "She breezed good over this track."

Capeside Lady will draw support from the followers of the turf-to-dirt angle. She has run once this year, a seventh-place finish in the Fort Monmouth Stakes on May 30 over a good turf course.

Regular pilot Chris DeCarlo will ride.

Forty Marchanta makes her North American debut. The 4-year-old Godolphin filly started her career in Argentina and most recently finished 10th in a stakes in Dubai.

Joe Bravo rides.

Freei, a supplemental entry, was also entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Game Card, From Away, Schedule, Becky in Pink, and Chrusciki complete the field.

Wild Chick shortens up

Wild Chick had an easy gallop Wednesday on the Monmouth turf course in preparation for the Crank It Up Stakes at five furlongs on the grass.

"She went well on the turf," said trainer Ben Perkins Jr. "Coming off the distance, she is plenty fit for this."

Wild Chick ran 1 1/16 miles on the grass in her last two outings. She captured an allowance race at Aqueduct on April 22 but was a non-factor in the Hilltop Breeders' Cup Stakes at Pimlico on May 14.

Missile Bay makes her turf debut for trainer Scott Lake. She set the pace in the slop in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico before fading to sixth.