Pick six pool could top $1M ahead of mandatory payout

Saturday is the penultimate day of the Monmouth Park meeting. It’s usually a low-key afternoon, with the meet wrapping up, summertime crowds virtually gone, and the stakes program completed. But with a weekend carryover of $358,203 in the Jersey Shore Pick 6, it has become a very important day for the seaside track.

If no single winning pick six ticket is sold Saturday, the jackpot is expected to climb well over $1 million for Sunday’s card, the closing day of the meet, with a mandatory payout of the pool regardless of how many winning tickets are sold.

“This is the first time we’ve had a jackpot of this size,” said John Heims, the longtime Monmouth Park publicity director who is completing his first year as director of racing/ racing secretary at the track. “We’re excited to see how much it will grow if it goes unhit on Saturday.”

The Jersey Shore Pick 6 carryover began humbly this season, with $764 carried over in the jackpot pool after there was no lone winner on the opening day of the meet. The pool continued to slowly grow with each passing card, with the carryover approaching $200,000 after no single ticket was sold on the wager on Haskell Day, July 29, and growing through August and then the Labor Day weekend.

“We’ve had bettors come close a few times in the past few weeks, with one or two horses alive to the jackpot in the last race,” said Tom Luicci, Monmouth’s publicity director. “It’s just eluded everyone.”

Should there not be a single winning ticket sold Saturday, Sunday’s Jersey Shore Pick 6 will obviously be a focal point for horseplayers nationwide. The 20-cent wager is offered on the last six races on the 13-race card, which gets under way at 12:50 p.m. Eastern. Post time for the eighth race, the first leg of the wager, is 3:59 p.m. Here’s a look at some of the top contenders for each race of the sequence:

Race 8: Blame the Thief is in for a tag for the first time in his career, and his best Beyer Speed Figures make him a contender. Silver Beach missed by less than a length the last time he was at this level. Animal Kingston is versatile enough to lead or rate. Nicki de Nephew was overmatched at Laurel but is a better fit with these.

Race 9: Town Policy is the one to catch from the rail for top trainer Jorge Navarro. Roll Tide Roll could be ideally spotted just off the speed. Borsa Vento probably wants a little longer, but he has competitive Beyers. Rockford ships in from Saratoga and is the one to beat.

Race 10: Graham’s Way didn’t have an easy trip on dirt in his local bow, and he has license to improve on grass. Seeking Glory shortens up a bit, which should help. Kilronan looms tough off his return try.

Race 11: No Honor No Deal (Navarro) and Uncle Pockets (Jason Servis) hail from barns that have dominated all meet long, and these two sprinters could hold the edge here. Forest River ran well enough in his bow to warrant a look.

Race 12: Miss Maris closed with some interest in her only turf sprint attempt. Theorem tries grass for the first time for a barn that does well with that category. The Navarro-trained Sassy Chub is going to be tough and is nearly impossible to leave out off her Beyer Figures and connections. Roman Holiday meets winners for the first time, but she may be good enough to repeat.

Race 13: Watch Your Words has some speed and is drawn inside coming off a win. Act of Madness threw a clunker at Delaware, but he ran well for the place two back behind a loose speed horse. Pax in Terra looks off form, but he has solid back Beyers and could rebound here in his first start off the short layoff.