Monmouth Park

The Lasix issue, which hounded Alysheba throughout the Triple Crown series, won't go away with the running of the $500,000 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park Saturday. One trainer will take his horse off the anti-bleeding medication but another conditioner says his colt wouldn't be running if he couldn't use it.

The 28 years of horse racing's traveling carnival, also known as the Breeders' Cup, have been a tale of more than two cities; 10, actually, if you count Los Angeles and New York twice each for their separate participating tracks. The history of this back-up-the-Brink's-truck event is best captured by continuing to borrow from Charles Dickens. It has had the best of times and the worst of times. There has also been a parade of colorful characters and achievers. The worst of times was in 1990, when the sport had its gut punched with the fatal fall of Go For Wand.

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- It rained on the first three races of the Breeders' Cup parade Friday and, with more wet weather expected today, trying to pick winners on the eight-race card may be more difficult than patrons at Monmouth Park trying to stay dry. No umbrellas are allowed because the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates Monmouth Park, believes umbrellas tend to obstruct other spectators' views.

Jimmy Croll, a hall of fame trainer who handled the champion racehorses Bet Twice and Holy Bull, died Friday at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J., after a long illness. He was 88. Croll died on the eve of the 21st anniversary of one of his biggest wins. In the 1987 Belmont Stakes, Bet Twice thwarted Alysheba's bid for racing's Triple Crown with a 14-length victory under jockey Craig Perret. Holy Bull was another notable champion. Voted horse of the year as a 3-year-old in 1994, he was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby but wound up finishing 12th.

It might be a day late, but Julie Krone could not have picked a better way to celebrate her 27th birthday. The world's best female jockey is returning to racing at Monmouth Park on Wednesday after being out for eight months with a career-threatening broken left arm. "I'm really looking forward to Wednesday," Krone said. "Just being back will be the best reward. If I win my first race, I think I just might cry." Krone has shed a couple of tears since the night of Nov.

Hilco Scamper won his fifth consecutive race, taking the $204,925 Grade II Sapling Saturday at Monmouth Park. The 2-year-old scored a three-length victory and covered the six furlongs in 1:10 2/5. Hilco Scamper returned $3, $2.40 and $2.20, and earned $114,555 for the win. Danny's Keys finished second and paid $5 and $3.20, and Mr. Spiffy returned $4.60 to show.

Tees Prospect took the lead midway down the stretch and held off even-money favorite Sir Richard Lewis to win the feature race on Tuesday at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Tank's Prospect covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:42 2/5 and paid $27.40 for the upset.

Mrs. Ben Cohen's Ross's Warning upset favored stablemate Dawn Quixote to capture the $35,000 Spend A Buck Stakes on Tuesday afternoon at Monmouth Park. Just a bob of the head settled the contest as Art Madrid guided the fast closing Ross's Warning to his first victory in nine starts this year. Ross's Warning, who covered the mile on the turf in 1:36 4/5, returned $44, $7.40, $6. Dawn Quixote, who set the pace, was a head back in second and paid $2.60 and $2.20.

Jimmy Croll, a hall of fame trainer who handled the champion racehorses Bet Twice and Holy Bull, died Friday at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J., after a long illness. He was 88. Croll died on the eve of the 21st anniversary of one of his biggest wins. In the 1987 Belmont Stakes, Bet Twice thwarted Alysheba's bid for racing's Triple Crown with a 14-length victory under jockey Craig Perret. Holy Bull was another notable champion. Voted horse of the year as a 3-year-old in 1994, he was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby but wound up finishing 12th.

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- It rained on the first three races of the Breeders' Cup parade Friday and, with more wet weather expected today, trying to pick winners on the eight-race card may be more difficult than patrons at Monmouth Park trying to stay dry. No umbrellas are allowed because the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates Monmouth Park, believes umbrellas tend to obstruct other spectators' views.

Those who think eight Breeders' Cup races run on a single day are not enough can look forward to more. The Breeders' Cup announced Monday that it would expand from eight to 11 races in the fall, spread out over two days. The event, which is being held in New Jersey for the first time this year, will be run Oct. 26-27 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport.

Not many trainers win $750,000 races on successive weekends, but that's what is on the table for Todd Pletcher when he runs Harlan's Holiday on Sunday in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Harlan's Holiday is a mere 2-1 on Hollywood Park's morning line, the second choice behind Congaree at 8-5. When the Belmont Park-based Pletcher shipped Balto Star to Monmouth Park in New Jersey to win Saturday's United Nations Handicap, the 5-year-old gelding paid $76.

Although Hollywood Park would have preferred his return had come in last month's Swaps Stakes, Point Given will make his first start since his devastating win in the Belmont in the $1.5-million Haskell Invitational Handicap today at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Owned by Prince Ahmed Salman's Thoroughbred Corporation and trained by Bob Baffert, Point Given should have little trouble winning for the eighth time in 12 starts and his third in a row.

Strike The Gold, who can clinch the $750,000 American Championship Racing Series bonus with a victory, was among 11 horses entered Wednesday morning for the $500,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park. The 1 1/8-mile Iselin, the penultimate race in the ACRS, will be simulcast at Del Mar on Saturday afternoon. Post time is 1:40 p.m. PDT, and the first live race at Del Mar is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

Black Tie Affair, who hadn't run in any of the American Championship Racing Series events this year, won his first Sunday, beating Southland-based Farma Way to the wire by a neck in the $500,000 Phillip H. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park.

Strike The Gold, who can clinch the $750,000 American Championship Racing Series bonus with a victory, was among 11 horses entered Wednesday morning for the $500,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park. The 1 1/8-mile Iselin, the penultimate race in the ACRS, will be simulcast at Del Mar on Saturday afternoon. Post time is 1:40 p.m. PDT, and the first live race at Del Mar is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

Although Hollywood Park would have preferred his return had come in last month's Swaps Stakes, Point Given will make his first start since his devastating win in the Belmont in the $1.5-million Haskell Invitational Handicap today at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Owned by Prince Ahmed Salman's Thoroughbred Corporation and trained by Bob Baffert, Point Given should have little trouble winning for the eighth time in 12 starts and his third in a row.

It might be a day late, but Julie Krone could not have picked a better way to celebrate her 27th birthday. The world's best female jockey is returning to racing at Monmouth Park on Wednesday after being out for eight months with a career-threatening broken left arm. "I'm really looking forward to Wednesday," Krone said. "Just being back will be the best reward. If I win my first race, I think I just might cry." Krone has shed a couple of tears since the night of Nov.

Tees Prospect took the lead midway down the stretch and held off even-money favorite Sir Richard Lewis to win the feature race on Tuesday at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Tank's Prospect covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:42 2/5 and paid $27.40 for the upset.