With a barn consisting of 15 Jersey-breds, trainer Eddie Owens, Jr. knows his “real” season starts this weekend at Monmouth Park, when New Jersey-bred stakes races serve as the headliners on both the Saturday and Sunday cards.

On Saturday, it’s the $85,000 Spruce Fir Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at six furlongs.

On Sunday, the $85,000 John J. Reilly Handicap, also at six furlongs, goes as the feature.

Owens is optimistic about his prospects in both races.

He will send out Riding Pretty in the Spruce Fir, with the 5-year-old mare coming off a 2024 season at Monmouth Park that saw her win the Smart N Classy Handicap and the Eleven North Handicap, getting beat a nose in the Jersey Girl Handicap.

Great Navigator and Speaking will represent Owens (and Holly Crest Farm) in the John J. Reilly, with Speaking having won the race in 2023 and 2024.

“I’m optimistic,” said Owens. “I think I’ve got all three of them cranked up pretty good.”

Riding Pretty, a Holly Crest Farm homebred by Jack Milton, had three races over the winter at Gulfstream Park, one in the Grade 3 Royal Delta, but failed to hit the board against open company.

She is 4-for-7 at Monmouth Park over her career, however.

“She could not be training any better, I know that,” said Owens, a long-time assistant to Joe Orseno who took over the Holly Crest Farm runners in 2020 after John Mazza passed away. “She had some tough races at Gulfstream over the winter. I don’t know if that will be a factor on Saturday. She hasn’t run in nine weeks now. So I don’t think those races will have any bearing on what happens Saturday.

“But the way she is training I think she might be a little better than she was last year.”

Stablemates Great Navigator and Speaking will hook up in the John J. Reilly, with both coming off a four-furlong bullet work as the co-fastest at the distance out of 156 horses on May 1.

“I don’t like the idea of running the two of them against each other,” said Owens. “But you have limited opportunities for Jersey-breds with a 50-day meet.”

Speaking had two off-the-board showings at Gulfstream over the winter, but will be looking to three-peat in the John J. Reilly, having won four Jersey-bred stakes and one open company stakes race (the Smoke Glacken Stakes) over his 20-race career. He is 7-for-11 at Monmouth Park.

“If he runs his race he is going to be tough to beat,” said Owens. “Since he has been at Monmouth Park he has been training like a monster. If someone is going to beat him it might be Great Navigator.

“For me, I am hoping for a dead heat (for win) – or a 1-2 finish.”

Speaking has won seven of his 20 career starts with lifetime earnings of $464,770.

Great Navigator, named New Jersey 3-Year-Old of the Year in 2023, had a solid three-race winter at Gulfstream with a win and a second. He was fourth, beaten just four lengths, in the Army Mule Stakes in his last start on March 23.

The son of Sea Wizard has tried four graded stakes races over his 19-race career, finishing second in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes and third in the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes. He won the Charles Hesse III Handicap for Jersey-breds by 10 lengths in 2023.

“He’s ready,” said Owens, who posted a career best 13 wins from 66 starters a year ago.

First race post time both days is 12:50 a.m. Gates will open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to accommodate the Preakness Stakes card.