Two Jersey-Breds Taking A Shot In NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes
Sea Streak with Jairo Rendon riding won the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park May 11, 2024.(Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
By Lynne Snierson/Monmouth Park Publicity Staff
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The Garden State will be well represented, and the New Jersey Thoroughbred breeding program will have a strong rooting interest, in this year’s Haskell Stakes with Jasper’s Pride and Sea Streak part of the top-class field. The two Jersey-breds stand on the precipice of becoming the first state-bred to win the Haskell in 44 years, since Thanks to Tony accomplished the feat in 1980.
This also presents a unique opportunity for Monmouth Park mainstays Eddie Owens, Jr. and Chuck Spina. Not only are the trainers competing in their initial Haskell, they will each be a running a horse in a Grade 1 affair for the first time in their long careers.
“It will be a normal day for me. I feel like it’ll be just another race. The emotions are the same until they gate and then I get a little nervous. Other than that, I keep a pretty low and even keel,” said Owens, Jr., 63, who grew up in the shadow of the track and honed his trade working here under Ben Perkins, Sr., Joe Orseno, and John Mazza.
Spina, 76, has been based at Monmouth Park since 1972. Not only is this his first Grade 1 appearance, it’s his first graded stakes race start.
“It’s exciting to be part of the big race on the big day,” said Spina, who trains Jasper’s Pride for Gayle and Joe Ioia’s Prancing Horse Stable, which is among Monmouth’s perennial leading owners.
“I come every year and sit in my box because I usually have one in the Jersey-bred first level allowance race, but this will be different. I’m just happy to still be here doing this at my age and still getting up at 4 o’clock every day and enjoying what I do at Monmouth Park,” said Spina. “It’s my home and my favorite track.”
Owens, Jr. conditions Sea Streak for owner/breeder Holly Crest Stable. After the gelding won the Long Branch Stakes here in May he said, “Don’t let that Jersey-bred (origin) fool you,” because his horse can really run.
“Everybody thinks that we Jersey-breds don’t belong sometimes, but none of (the horses) know where they’re from,” said Owens Jr. “If I worry about him running against these Kentucky-breds and Florida-breds and any other breds, we’ll have a long, long day.
“If you want to be in these big races you have to run against these horses. We don’t listen to other people’s opinions. They aren’t mine.”
Like the old-time horseman he is, Owens tightened the screws on Sea Streak by blowing him out three-eighths of a mile on Thursday.
“I had to take him out there and blow him out three-eighths of a mile because he was just feeling too good. I didn’t want him to be over cranked coming out of there. I want him to be settled. He was in there jumping around in his stall. I’ve been around a while. I’ve seen it done before. He’s pretty sharp right now,” he said. “I don’t know what to expect but I know if he runs the way he’s feeling we’re going to be okay.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think he’ll run a very big race. If he runs really bad it will be disappointing because this horse is training so good right now, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t run good. If he runs to his training, we’ll be okay.”
Owens has known Spina since he first came on the track when he was a kid.
“I was planning for us to be here in this race together,” he laughed. “It’s kind of cool for us Jersey trainers. We’ve got long shots on the board, but somebody’s got to win. I wish him the best of luck. If I don’t win, I hope he does.”
Nonetheless, Owens has full intentions of raising the Haskell trophy by himself. Sea Streak will break from the outside post under Jairo Rendon.
“We’re going to come out there with the same intentions (as in the Long Branch). But if they want to go, we’re going to drop in behind them,” he said. “We’re coming out of the gate with the intentions of being forwardly placed. We’ve got a longer run into the turn so I’m going to leave it up to the jock. If he doesn’t think he can make it he’s going to have to get over and save some ground.”
Meanwhile, he hasn’t been engaging in any creative visualization practices.
“Oh, I plan on being in the winner’s circle. I’m not envisioning it. I plan on being there,” he said. “I’m not going over there to just be a part of this field. I’m going over with the intentions of winning. That’s what we plan on doing.”
