Iselin contenders eye to eye

Mr. Jordan and Just Call Kenny have both shown an affinity for Monmouth Park, and they are drawn next to each other on the inside in a field of five entered for Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Phillip H. Iselin Stakes. The Iselin is for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.

Mr. Jordan, coming off a five-length allowance victory at Parx Racing, has missed the board only once in six starts at Monmouth. He owns a victory in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes there in 2015 and three other graded stakes placings at the track, including a runner-up effort in the 2016 edition of the Iselin. Frankie Pennington gets the call on Mr. Jordan, who with his tactical speed is ideally drawn on the rail for trainer Eddie Plesa.

Just Call Kenny, drawn next door in post 2 under Eddie Castro, comes off back-toback graded stakes placings at Monmouth. He finished second in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile and then third in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup behind Sharp Azteca’s win in track-record time for 1 1/16 miles.

Eagle, in from Kentucky for trainer Neil Howard with jockey James Graham booked to ride, closed to win the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes last time out at Indiana Grand. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, the top last-out number in the field.

Giving Mr. Jordan company toward the front end could be Conquest Big E. The colt has won his past two starts in frontrunning fashion, including the Coast Is Clear Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Discreet Lover, fifth in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes last time out at Saratoga, completes the lineup.

– Nicole Russo

Thistledown: Buckeye Cup

One thing that is known about Mo Dont No is that he can handle a classic distance. The gelding is unbeaten going 1 1/4 miles, making him a standout in the $75,000 Governor’s Buckeye Cup for Ohio-registered 3-year-olds and up Saturday at Thistledown.

Mo Dont No has won both his starts at 1 1/4 miles, taking the Buckeye Cup by 3 1/4 lengths last summer over Eightthehardway – who is back for more Saturday – and later winning the Best of Ohio Endurance Stakes. Mo Dont No comes off two straight allowance wins and has won three of his last four races. He has finished first or second in his last 12 starts, dating back to July 2016.

Regular rider Ricardo Feliciano will be aboard Mo Dont No for Loooch Racing Stables and trainer Jeffrey Radosevich. The same owner-trainer combination also sends out Dubacious, the only other member of this field to win at this distance. Dubacious won the Best of Ohio Endurance in 2015.

The consistent Cake Pop has not won at 1 1/4 miles, but stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in good fashion in his last race on the dirt, rallying for an emphatic victory in the Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup at Thistledown. The race marked the third stakes victory for Cake Pop, but his first win around two turns.

– Nicole Russo

Charles Town: Bishop Memorial

Moonlit Song’s run of dominance was knocked off course in her last start, but she will look to begin a new winning streak Saturday in the $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.

A daughter of Fiber Sonde, she will be part of a full gate of 10 West Virginia-bred sophomore fillies traveling seven furlongs.

Moonlit Song had won five races in a row before a stumble at the start led to a fourthplace finish in a July 27 allowance at Charles Town. She was promoted to third when runnerup Honeymoon Cruise was disqualified for interference.

The Sylvia Bishop will be the filly’s first test at seven furlongs, but her five-race winning streak included a 3 1/2-length score at 6 1/2 furlongs, which offers hope she can get the extra sixteenth in Saturday’s race. Moonlit Song breezed four furlongs in 49.60 seconds Aug. 17 at Charles Town.

Regular rider Christian Hiraldo will have the mount aboard Moonlit Song for owner, trainer, and co-breeder Timothy Grams.

Challenging Moonlit Song from the inside post will be Honeymoon Cruise, an Archarcharch filly who came up the rail and was beaten a head July 27. She was disqualified to fifth for cutting off a rival in the stretch.

Seven furlongs has proven to be a strong suit for Honeymoon Cruise, who has won three of four starts at the distance. She breezed three furlongs in 36.60 on Aug. 12 at Charles Town.

Arnaldo Bocachica will ride Honeymoon Cruise for owner Debbie Rhodes and trainer Jeff Runco.

Lies and Scandals won that July 27 allowance race for her third straight win, all 6 1/2-furlong allowances at Charles Town. She breezed a bullet three furlongs in 35 seconds on Aug. 23.

John McKee owns, trains, and bred Lies and Scandals. Fredy Peltroche will have the riding assignment.

– Joe Nevills

COGLIANESE PHOTOS Mr. Jordan (above) and Just Call Kenny break from the two inside posts Saturday in the Grade 3 Phillip Iselin Stakes over a Monmouth surface where both have had success.