Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Meru looks to regroup on turf
Meru made a splash last season at Monmouth Park and will return to the Jersey Shore on Sunday to make his turf debut in the $75,000 My Frenchman.
Meru is part of a field of nine for the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds. Others set to start include fellow stakes winners Jack the Umpire, Cajun Casanova, So Street, and Another Miracle, the thirdplace finisher in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Meru is 2 for 2 at Monmouth, where he won his debut last July by more than six lengths and then returned to capture the track’s $75,000 Smoke Glacken. The Beyer Speed Figure of 95 he earned in the Smoke Glacken was the highest number for a 2-year-old for much of 2019.
Meru is returning to Monmouth following a fifthplace finish in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 20 at Belmont Park. He was favored but finished 21 1/2 lengths behind winner No Parole.
“It was kind of a headscratcher,” said Jorge Duarte Jr., who trains Meru for Colts Neck Stables. “We knew something happened, but we weren’t sure what it was.”
The connections had an answer soon after the race.
“Something kind of unusual happened,” Duarte said. “The jockey [said Meru] lost his shoe in the post parade.”
It was his left front shoe, according to Duarte.
Meru has since been preparing for the My Frenchman.
“Being a Sky Mesa, it was always in the back of our minds to try him on the turf,” Duarte said. “They seem to run well on the turf.
“Since we have a turf course here on the Colts Neck farm, we breezed him and he did very well. This is a nice spot close to home to try him, see if we can regroup after that Woody Stephens.”
Sky Mesa gets about 14 percent winners on the grass. Meru’s dam, Lady Lavery, made five starts on turf and was second twice and third once. She is by Elusive Quality.
Meru will break from post 7 under Julian Pimentel.
Cajun Casanova has registered both of his stakes wins in turf sprints, taking the Hollywood Beach at Gulfstream Park last September and the Texas Glitter at Gulfstream in March.
Another Miracle was seventh in the Texas Glitter in his first start since December. Last year, he won the $100,000 Skidmore on turf at Saratoga.
Jack the Umpire comes off a victory in the Big Drama, a seven-furlong stakes at two turns Feb. 29 at Delta Downs.