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Sea Streak (Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Little Ni May Face Book’em Danno in Jersey Shore Stakes
Tom Luicci/Monmouth Park
OCEANPORT, N.J. – As the biggest day of his training career approaches next weekend at Monmouth Park, Eddie Owens, Jr. says he’s sticking to his normal routine.
“You’ve got to put the work in like you always do. That doesn’t change,” he said.
Owens will send out Sea Streak in the $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on Saturday, July 20, with the bay gelding looking to join Thanks to Tony (1980) as the only Jersey-breds to win the Haskell. It marks the first Grade 1 starter of his career.
But the day before will be an important one for Owens as well.
He has unbeaten Little Ni, 3-for-3 lifetime, pointed for the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes on July 19 at the Jersey Shore track, possibly against Grade 1 winner Book’em Danno. The Jersey Shore Stakes is at six furlongs for 3-year-olds.
Little Ni, a Kentucky-bred son of Mohaymen-Elraazy by Malibu Moon, will be trying stakes company for the first time after winning his first three career starts – all sprints – by a combined 17 lengths.
“He has earned this shot,” said Owens.
Whether Book’em Danno is waiting is something that will be determined either Sunday or Monday, trainer Derek Ryan said.
Book’em Danno, with five wins and two seconds from seven career starts, worked on Thursday morning at Monmouth Park.
“He went in :47 seconds and was out in a minute,” said Ryan, who is based at Monmouth Park. “He is good to go wherever he goes. We’ll figure out by Sunday or Monday.”
Ryan said the main goal for Book’em Danno, locally owned by Atlantic Six Racing LLC, is the $500,000 Allen Jerkens at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Saratoga on Aug. 24. He is considering the Jersey Shore Stakes or the July 26 Amsterdam Stakes for 3-year-olds going 6½ furlongs at Saratoga as preps for the Jerkens.
“Maybe there’s a grass race out there for him too. He’s bred for the grass,” said Ryan.
Book’em Danno won the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Saratoga on June 8 in his last start. The gelded son of Bucchero-Adorabella by Ghostzapper launched his career at Monmouth Park, where he won his first two career starts, including the Smoke Glacken Stakes.
Little Ni is also 2-for-2 over the Monmouth Park oval, having won both races this year against in allowance optional claiming company. He won his debut on Oct. 20 by 6¼ lengths in a maiden special weight race at Delaware Park.
“I’d be lying if I said I knew he would be this good,” said Owens. “I thought he’d be ok. So doing what he has done so far, I wasn’t expecting this.”
Owned by Jersey Pride Racing, Billy Belford and Boardwalk Racing, Little Ni appears to be getting better with each start, Owens said.
“We still have a lot more room to find out about him,” he said. “If Book’em Danno goes in the race we’ll have a better idea of how good Little Ni is. But I am not going to worry about who is in the race and who is not.”
Owens said he plans to give Sea Streak and Little Ni their final works on Sunday, weather permitting.
“Right now all I am concerned about is the rain we’re supposed to get this weekend,” he said. “Other than that, everything is fine.”
He said Sea Streak, owned by Holly Crest Farm, rebounded from his fifth-place finish in the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes on June 15 in good order. Sea Streak won the Long Branch Stakes prior to that, earning free entry and start fees to the Haskell.
“The Pegasus race was bad instructions from me to (jockey) Jairo Rendon,” said Owens, who grew up in nearby Long Branch. “I didn’t expect all of those horses to show that kind of speed and I told Jairo to get out and go. If I’d known everyone was going I would have told Jairo to take back and settle in and see what happens.
“That wasn’t on Jairo. He was just following my instructions.”
