Bal Harbour takes another swing

In July, Bal Harbour returned from a long layoff for a new barn at Monmouth Park, a track for which he has long shown an affinity, and again acquitted himself well. However, a graded victory has still eluded him. He gets one more shot on the Jersey Shore this summer in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile.

“He’s a hard-trying horse,” trainer Gregg Sacco said. “If any horse is deserving of winning a graded stakes race, it’s him.”

Bal Harbour, a 5-year-old First Samurai gelding, was trained by Todd Pletcher for the first three seasons of his career and won three stakes, including the Sapling as a juvenile at Monmouth. Competing exclusively at the graded stakes level last year, he hit the board in five of seven starts. That included a second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, beaten just a head by War Story while 12 lengths clear of the thirdplace finisher. He also finished second in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, beaten a half-length by Preservationist. His Beyer Speed Figure of 105 is a standout number in this field.

Over the winter, Red Oak Stable transferred the gelding to Sacco. He returned from a seven-month layoff to finish third in the Monmouth Cup to Global Campaign and Math Wizard. Math Wizard won a Grade 1 last season, and Global Campaign won the Woodward this year. In his most recent outing, Bal Harbour was third in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin behind the disqualified Pirate’s Punch and Warrior’s Charge.

“He’s a pleasure to train. He’s a real pro,” Sacco said. “Todd did a great job with him, and we’ll continue to build off that.

Bal Harbour, who typically stalks the pace, has drawn the inside post in the field of eight under Chris DeCarlo. He is directly inside of New Jerseybred Prendimi, who defeated statebred standout Golden Brown in the Charles Hesse III Handicap last out. Outside of those two in post 3 is the speedy Brazilian-bred Wind of Change, coming off a stakes placing at Charles Town.

Pirate’s Punch, who wired the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds earlier this year, could join Wind of Change on the front end from post 6. He crossed the line 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Warrior’s Charge after a prolonged battle in the Iselin, but was disqualified to second for interference.

Valid Point won the first three starts of his career last year, including the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes. He is winless since, and makes his first start on dirt. The colt is by the multisurface sire Scat Daddy. His winless dam, Goldbud, a halfsister to dirt Grade 1 winner Santa Teresita, has produced four foals to win on dirt, including Valid Point’s full brother Temescat.

Golden Brown, a Grade 3 winner winner on turf, has won stakes at Monmouth on both dirt and turf. He was beaten just a head by Prendimi in the Hesse.