Saucy Don, and Food Trucks among the reasons to visit Monmouth Park this Saturday

SAUCY DON BACK TO DEFEND REILLY ‘CAP TITLE ON SATURDAY

 There are lots of reasons to head to the Jersey Shore this weekend, and even more to include Monmouth Park on your bucket list this summer.  This Saturday, Saucy Don, will return in Saturday’s $60K John J. Reilly Handicap at Monmouth Park.  Will it be a repeat performance?

If you want to look at Saucy’s record, from 21 career starts at Monmouth Park, it’s 7-3-5 for earnings of more than $300K.  According to the most recent press release from MP, “Saucy Don will have the services of Nik Juarez, who will be aboard the son of Don Six for the first time.  That duo will break from post three and have been installed the 4-1 co-second choice in the field of nine New Jersey-bred colts and geldings. Favoritism in the six-furlong Reilly belongs to Green Gratto, another graded stakes winner in the contest.  Green Gratto enters the Reilly off a third-place finish in the mud at Belmont in the Diablo Stakes on May 8.”

The stakes event goes as race nine on Saturday’s 10-race program.  Gates will open early at 11 a.m. as Monmouth Park hosts the first of a three-day Food Truck Festival.

The field for the Reilly (with rider assignments), from the rail out, is:

Javerre (Roberto Alvarado Jr.) 8-1

Sierra Ancha (Shannon Uske) 30-1

Saucy Don (Nik Juarez) 4-1

Chubble Maker (No Rider) 6-1

Fuzzy Muzzle (Joe Bravo) 6-1

Green Gratto (Chris DeCarlo) 3-1

Chublicious (Antonio Gallardo) 4-1

Posse Dreamin (Jonathan Gonzales) 8-1

Visionary Ruler (Paco Lopez) 6-1

More importantly, this Saturday, Monmouth Park’s popular Food Truck Festival returns and will again span all three days of the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

Gates will open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, giving fans 30 more minutes to taste treats from their favorite food trucks from across the Garden State.  On Monday, gates open at 11:30 a.m.  In addition, Family Fun Day will be in full force all three days with clowns, pony rides, face painters and a bounce house to entertain the kids.

The food trucks first rolled into Monmouth in 2012 for a one-day event, which has expanded in size and scope to what it is today.  Among those who will be concocting their culinary delights are:  Empanada Guy, Max’s Hot Dogs, Betty’s Icebox, Red Hook Lobster and Enzo’s Deli, to name a few.

Over the three-day holiday weekend first post will be 12:50 p.m.  Admission to the Grandstand, where the food trucks will assemble, is $5 – seniors pay $3 and children 12 and under are free.

For more information, visit www.monmouthpark.com.