OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Larry Jones conducted a reconnaissance mission at Monmouth Park from July 6-8.

The Delaware Park-based trainer brought five horses to Monmouth to test the main track and the new cushion that was installed before the start of the meet. Jones came away convinced that Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun will have no problem with the speed-favoring surface in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 5.

“We tried it out enough to see that there wasn’t anything we needed to work with and that basically the horses liked it,” Jones said. “We were extremely pleased with what we saw and the way the track is. We feel like it won’t be an issue for him.” (via Hard Spun News)