Take Charge Indy, Joyful Victory aim to rebound at Monmouth

Monmouth Park will stage six supporting stakes on Sunday's Haskell

Invitational (G1) program, highlighted by a pair of Grade 2 events at 1 1/16

miles worth $200,000 apiece. The eponymous

Monmouth Cup has attracted such Grade 1 winners as Take Charge Indy and Hymn

Book, while in the companion

Molly Pitcher for distaffers, Grade 1 heroine Joyful Victory will clash with

Fleur de Lis upsetter Funny Proposition.

Take Charge Indy aims to rebound from an uncharacteristically poor

performance in the June 15 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, where he chased

Fort Larned before weakening badly to last. The well-bred son of A.P. Indy and

Take Charge Lady had previously been in fine form for trainer Pat Byrne. Two

starts back, Take Charge Indy crushed the May 3 Alysheba by six lengths. That

rout ended a skid of four consecutive placings in graded stakes, including such

major events as the Clark and Donn Handicaps. Hall of Famer Gary Stevens picks

up the mount on last year's Florida Derby hero, the 123-pound highweight, who is

drawn in post 2.

Hymn Book, who scored his signature win in a photo in the 2012 Donn, was no

match for Take Charge Indy when reappearing in the Alysheba. But the Shug

McGaughey veteran was among those hampered by another rival on the first turn

that day, and he was accordingly elevated to second. The Arch gelding returned

to finish second in the June 14 Criminal Type at Belmont, and makes his third

start of the season here.

Like Take Charge Indy, Joyful Victory ships to Monmouth in hopes of bouncing

back from a subpar effort. The Larry Jones mare retreated to fifth in the Ogden

Phipps Handicap on Memorial Day at Belmont Park, a disappointment considering

her razor-sharp form earlier in the year. Joyful Victory was coming off a pair

of romps in the lucrative Houston Ladies Classic and the March 16 Santa

Margarita at Santa Anita, earning a Grade 1 breakthrough in the latter. The

speedy daughter of Tapit has fired bullets at Churchill of late, and the

123-pound co-highweight will break from the outside post 6 with Rosie Napravnik.

In contrast, co-highweight Funny Proposition enters the Molly Pitcher on a

high, having shocked two-time champion Royal Delta in the June 15 Fleur de Lis

Handicap on Stephen Foster night. The Mark Casse trainee led every step of the

way en route to a five-length triumph, and tries to extend her winning streak to

three in this spot.

The Steve Margolis-trained Wine Princess, a lackluster last of five in the

Fleur de Lis, is yet another Churchill invader. The daughter of Hall of Famers

Ghostzapper and Azeri has visited the Jersey Shore once before, taking the 2012

Monmouth Oaks.

Defending champion Tune Me In looks in tough against a few quality opponents

in the Grade 3, $150,000

Oceanport Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Multiple Grade 2 star Silver Max

promises to flash his trademark speed from the rail, while Hudson Steele and

Howe Great return to the scene of their Jersey Derby victories.

Tune Me In has not visited the winner's circle since last summer's Cliff

Hanger, and exits a third in the July 5 Elkwood. He renews rivalry with Change

of Command, a late-developing giant who got up in time to set a course record in

the Elkwood.

Silver Max reeled off a six-race winning skein for Dale Romans last season,

featuring the Transylvania, American Turf, Arlington Classic, Oliver and

Virginia Derby. The Badge of Silver colt later lost his way, but looked like his

old self when demolishing the off-the-turf Opening Verse in the Churchill slop.

Not as effective on a fast track in the June 29 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker,

fading to third, Silver Max wouldn't mind if there's rain.

Hudson Steele, the 2010 Jersey Derby winner, added the Dixie to his resume in

grand style in 2012, but ended up missing the second half of the year. The Todd

Pletcher gelding shrugged off a nearly year-long layoff to capture the June 22

Da Hoss at Colonial Downs, and is eligible to move forward in this second start

back.

Colonial form also looms large in the Grade 3, $150,000

Matchmaker Stakes for turf distaffers. Pletcher's Channel Lady got first run

on Idle Talk when they served up the exacta in the June 22 All Along, and bids

to confirm the form over this same 1 1/8-mile trip. By turf champ English

Channel, Channel Lady also scored in the Suwannee River at Gulfstream in

February. After placing fourth to both Centre Court and Stephanie's Kitten at

the Grade 2 level, her sights were lowered a bit, and this shapes up as another

logical spot.

Channel Lady is the starting highweight at 123 pounds. Reigning Matchmaker

winner Laughing would also have carried that impost, but she is not expected to

mount a title defense. Trainer Alan Goldberg reportedly indicated that she would

contest Saturday's Diana at Saratoga instead. Laughing returned from an eight-month holiday in the June 29 Eatontown

and not only ran down Dayatthespa, but broke the course record to boot.

Julie's Love has been picking up minor awards in both group and graded

stakes, and the Motion trainee is overdue to get her head in front. She was most

recently best of the rest behind the progressive Solid Appeal in Woodbine's

Dance Smartly.

The $100,000

Teddy

Drone Stakes marks the return of the classy sprinter Well Spelled. Last seen

defeating next-out Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Trinniberg in the September 22

Gallant Bob at Parx, the Ben Perkins Jr. pupil had also gone last-to-first in

the Jersey Shore at this track and six-furlong trip.

His principal rivals include nine-time stakes hero Immortal Eyes, who crushed

the local prep, the July 7 Mr. Prospector, by 7 1/4 lengths; Javerre, the

123-pound highweight on account of his victory in the General George the last

time he sprinted; Hop Skip and Away, winner of the June 1 John J. Reilly before

a couple of turf tries; and upwardly-mobile claimer He Can Run.

Distaff sprinters will get their turn in the $100,000

Regret

Stakes, also at six furlongs. My Place Anytime, a resounding 5 3/4-length

heroine of the June 22 Blue Sparkler, will meet a few foes from that

track-and-distance prep -- third-placer Promise Me a Cat and also-rans Irish

Exchange and Geeky Gorgeous.

Wesley Ward's shipper Glamour Puss poses a danger. The Ken and Sarah Ramsey

homebred won allowances at both Keeneland and Churchill before a troubled third

in her stakes debut in the June 22 Roxelana. Not to be overlooked are New Farm's

homebred Heir Stream, a smashing allowance winner here last out, and Penn

invader She's Ordained, who has trounced lesser company in her last three.