Jersey Derby
$100.000 For Three Year Olds
1 Mile – Turf
Monmouth Park – May 30, 2026

The Jersey Shore. Monmouth Park. Two very special places to someone like this writer who grew up in the Garden State. It is sad to see both of those places struggling in the real world these days but the HRP Jersey Derby to be run this Saturday is one rumble “down the shore” that can eagerly be looked forward to especially for the seven horses and their connections. The seven will enter the gate as follows:

1. The Babylonian (Nakamura Stables/S. Leon) Was a Kentucky Derby hopeful earlier in the year but failed to lift a hoof in both the Virginia Derby and the Wood Memorial finishing twelfth and fourteenth respectively in both. Has not been seen since the Wood but looks for some black type returning to the grass which is the surface on which he broke his maiden. He shows fast grass works to give his backers encouragement. 

2. Go Go Goblin (Mb Stables/S. Marin) He is not yet a stakes winner but shows several stakes placings including in a couple of graded events on the turf. Was given a confidence builder last time out when he took a conditional allowance race at Parx. Has been knocking on the door for his first stakes win and has to be considered a contender. 

3. Cody Cutter (Alydar Stables/J.L. Gonzalez) He showed improved form when switched to the grass and then broke his maiden by four lengths in his second turf start at a mile. He followed that win up with a fast closing fourth in a turf sprint. He moves back to a mile here for his stakes debut and that distance seems to be what he wants to do. This is a class test but that maiden win and his works hint that he might be up to the task. 

4. Perfect Folly (La Canada Racehorses/Sa Camacho) He has shown talent and has been competitive in several on the board results in high end allowance races. Has shown versatility in both surface and in distances but his trainer chooses a mile on the grass for him to make his initial stakes attempt so take that as a positive. He is another whose recent works hint at good form. 

5. Express Run (Alydar Stables/J. Bravo) Homebred whose sire is Jersey Express. Omen? You have to like any horse that shows a fifty percent winning rate. He has won four of his eight starts and is a stakes winner by virtue of his victory in the Mucho Macho Man in early January. After a couple of races on the Derby trail earlier this season he moves back to the grass where he has won three of four races including a solid fast closing fourth in the G3 The Futurity. Have to think this is where he might be at his best. 

6. Shichiroji (Jerry Garcia Racing/J.C. Ferrer) To date Shichiroji has done honor to his samurai name by winning four of his six races. (Don’t be impressed. I looked it up!) He won his first three races on the grass including a victory in the Black Gold at the Fair Grounds in February. He didn’t fare as well in his follow up when he finished sixth in the G3 Transylvania at Keeneland, but he was closing and making up places in the stretch in a crowded field so don’t discount him just off of that effort. 

7. Soho Danze (Ashwood Farms/J. Barbosa) Ashwood Farms homebred has a couple of stakes placings to his credit but has struggled a bit lately trying to find his best form. He picks this spot to make his grass debut and shows no public works on the surface so it is hard to find a positive angle to see where the surface switch would put him in the mix, but the trainer must see something. 

I think the switch back to grass for Express Run is going to lead him back to the winner’s circle. The two horses drawn inside have some back class and I suspect they will prove to be the main competition. The Babylonian followed by Go Go Goblin will be my picks to follow the winner home in second and third. Shichiroji figures to be in the mix and is a stakes winner who could better the fourth place I am putting him in here.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded