It’s been nearly 10 months since trainer Mario Serey, Jr., had a starter in a stakes race – a stretch that includes all 294 of his starters this year – but that’s about to change on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Serey believes the wait will wind up being worth it.

He sends out Shootersgottashoot in the featured $100,000 Smoke Glacken Stakes for 2-year-olds tomorrow, with the Kentucky-bred son of Honor A.P. coming off an impressive debut win in maiden special weight company at Monmouth Park on July 28, a race that earned the colt a solid 71 Beyer Speed Figure.

It will be Serey’s first stakes starter since Nov. 24 of last year. His last stakes win was in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie with Swayin To And Fro at Laurel Park on Feb. 18, 2023.

“From the beginning, as soon as I got him at Pimlico this winter, he showed his talent,” Serey said of Shootersgottashoot. “You can see him maturing every time we breeze him and gallop him. My exercise rider says he has really grown up. He’s getting better and better.

“When you say go he goes. He has so much talent. So we’ll see. Saturday will be a good test for him.”

In his debut, Shootersgottashoot was on the lead early, was briefly headed and passed, falling behind by 1½ lengths, and then surged again to win the five-furlong race by a neck.

“I knew he was going to win with the way he was working,” said Serey. “At five furlongs there are usually a lot of speed horses in the race, especially at Monmouth Park, and he was as fast as any of them.

“He got passed and then came back. When that happens with a 2-year-old he is telling you he is a good horse.”

For Serey, a stakes victory – even a stakes starter – is another sign of the solid year he has had in his return to Monmouth Park after spending the previous five summers in Maryland.

“If you look at my stable most of my horses are maidens, claimers or allowance horses. But I know what it’s like to win a stakes race,” he said. “Everyone wants to be in stakes races. But you have to be honest about the caliber of horses you have and what they can do.”

Shootersgottashoot, who worked a bullet just prior to his debut, has only had a maintenance work since then, breezing four furlongs in 52 seconds on Aug. 24. He is owned by Robert Reidy, a long-time client of Serey’s.

“I just worked him to see how he was doing,” said Serey. “There was no need to push him because he has a lot of natural speed. He doesn’t need to be pushed.”

The Smoke Glacken, at six furlongs, drew a field of nine. Beyond ending his stakes win drought, a victory by Shootersgottashoot would enable Serey to keep pace with Claudio Gonzalez in the trainer’s race with four live racing days remaining.

Gonzalez, seeking a third straight Monmouth Park training title, enters the weekend with 33 winners. Serey has 30 – and 46 overall, marking his best year since 2016.

Serey, who oversees 50 horses overall, has entered nine horses over the weekend at Monmouth Park.

“You never know,” Serey said about catching Gonzalez. “There are four days left. I think I have a shot to win a few races over the weekend.”

Admission and parking for the final two weekends of the meet are free. First race post time is 12:50 p.m.