OCEANPORT, N.J. – The Monmouth Oaks has become a family affair for the Larry and Cindy Jones.

Larry Jones trained the last two winners of Monmouth Park’s top event for 3-year-old fillies: Maren’s Meadow (2008) and Just Jenda (2009).

Larry retired at the end of last year, turning the stable over to his wife, Cindy. Now the pressure is on Cindy to extend the Monmouth Oaks winning streak on Saturday with No Such Word in the Grade 3, $200,000 stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

“It would be three in a row for us,” Cindy Jones said. “And it’s all about the family, anyway.”

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sidney’s Candy had a successful introduction to grass racing last Sunday, zipping six furlongs in 1:11.80 in a workout.

That was all trainer John Sadler needed to see. After that, Saturday’s $150,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles on turf became the goal and an opportunity for the colt’s fourth stakes win.

“I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t win, because of the way he worked on grass the other day,” Sadler said. “He handled the turf beautifully. It looked like he’d been on it 10 times.”

It is tough to separate the 2-year-olds who are running in the two divisions of the $50,000 Sales Stakes at Northlands Park Saturday.

Cactus Cat has been installed as the 7-5 favorite in the colts and geldings division, which drew seven horses and goes as race 7. Spirited Winner, 6-5, will have her hands full with Flatter Us in the fillies division, which attracted eight horses and goes as race 6. Both races are 6 1/2 furlongs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Sam DiPasquale is having a productive meet with 2-year-olds, and his roll could continue Saturday at Woodbine when he runs I Fly High in the $150,000 Ontario Debutante Stakes.

I Fly High won her only outing with determination July 17, in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special, in which she dueled for the lead along the inside before drawing clear. Her time of 1:04.95 translated into a Beyer Figure of 62.

DiPasquale, who finished a close second in the July 31 Vandal Stakes with Ice Danger, said I Fly High is his best 2-year-old.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The graded stakes winner Against the Sky will try and get back on track when she drops into a $35,000 optional race at Hastings Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile feature drew eight fillies and mares, and goes as race 6 on the eight race card.

There were questions about Luckarack and King Cola early in their careers, but the two one-time claimers are the most accomplished runners coming into Saturday’s $50,000-added Cavonnier Juvenile at the Sonoma County Fair.

The two colts, each of whom won his debut in a $32,000 maiden claiming race, have five rivals in the six-furlong stakes race. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer sends out a strong one-two punch in Ammunition and Kingsford Drive. The stakes-placed River’s Chapel, Over the Budget, and Banditontheloose round out the field.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti breezed a strong five furlongs in 59.43 seconds Thursday morning over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf course, his final move before he seeks a second straight victory in the Arlington Million on Aug. 21 in Chicago.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Goggles McCoy won his stakes debut with little fuss in Wednesday’s $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar.

Goggles McCoy ($2.80) was the 10,996th career winner for Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, who had a relatively easy time aboard the gelding.

Goggles McCoy set an early – and slow – pace of 24.58 and 48.23 seconds, and rejected a threat from Runaway Bandido to win the seven-furlong race for statebred 3-year-olds by 2 1/2 lengths. Killer Bear finished third, followed by Very Fair and High Success in the field of five.

Dazzled Saint is among the leading horses by number of wins with three at Presque Isle Downs, and it looks like that string could continue. Trained by John Bourke, the 3-year-old has won 3 of 4 starts locally by a combined 18 3/4 lengths. On June 9 Dazzled Saint won his maiden race by nine lengths. He came back ten days later to score in an entry-level allowance event by six lengths. In a third-level allowance event July 14, he won by 3 3/4 lengths. All three wins came at distances of 5 or 5 1/2 furlongs, but Bourke doesn’t see his charge as just a sprinter.

With a little more than three weeks left in the 2010 River Downs summer meet, it is once again time to look at the signature races for 2-year-olds. The Bassinet and Cradle Stakes, the only two open races on the River Downs stake schedule, will be contested on closing weekend. The $50,000 Bassinet and $100,000 Cradle will be run on Sept, 4 and 6, respectively.
The purse for each race has been cut in half this year.