September, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dreamalildreamofu Gets Second Career Stakes Win In Twixt At Laurel

Full of Run Racing and Madaket Stables' Dreamalildreamofu, placed in back-to-back Grade 3 stakes earlier this year, reeled in a stubborn Artful Splatter with a steady run through the stretch to capture the 39th running of Saturday's $100,000 Twixt at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

It was the second career stakes win for Dreamalildreamofu ($6.20) and second on the day for jockey Jevian Toledo, who captured the $100,000 Weather Vane with Hello Beautiful two races earlier. Toledo also won Race 3 with first-time starter Click to Confirm, like Hello Beautiful trained by Brittany Russell.

“It's a very special day,” Toledo said. “I'm just blessed.”

A multiple stakes winner trained by Pimlico-based Kieron Magee, Artful Splatter was intent on the lead and opened up under Carlos Lopez through fractions of :23.45 and :46.24. Dreamalildreamofyou led the second flight tracked by Grade 1-placed Off Topic and Iowa Distaff winner Josie.

Artful Splatter was still in front and hugging the rail after turning for home as Toledo set Dreamalildreamofu down for the stretch drive. Drifting slightly to the middle of the track, the 4-year-old Commissioner filly came with a steady run to catch Artful Splatter and get up by a head while fending off Josie on her outside.

“I just kept my filly right in behind the leader and I know she's a nice filly, so I was hoping she would do what she did,” Toledo said. “When I asked her, she responded and got the job done.”

Trained by reigning Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, Dreamalildreamofu was second by 1 ½ lengths in the Grade 3 Allaire du Pont May 14 at Pimlico and third by a length in the Grade 3 Chicago on Arlington Park's all-weather surface June 26. She encountered trouble in her previous start when she ran ninth in the Groupie Doll at Ellis Park.

Twixt was a Maryland-bred champion every year she raced, from 1972-75, retiring as Maryland's all-time money-winning mare. Her 18 stakes wins were also a Maryland-bred record on the flat. Twixt won the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie and was named Maryland's Horse of the Year in 1973 and 1974.

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Hello Beautiful Scores Big In Weather Vane At Laurel

With her regular rider on crutches and watching from the grandstand, Hello Beautiful provided Sheldon Russell with a spectacular get-well gift as she rolled to a popular and emotional 10 ¼-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Weather Vane at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The second running of the six-furlong Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and older was the first of four stakes worth $500,000 in purses headlined by the $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for 3-year-olds and up.

Russell's wife, trainer Brittany Russell, fought back tears as she tried to explain how much the victory meant to her team, particularly since her husband – Maryland's top money-earning jockey this year at the time of his Sept. 9 foot injury – will be out indefinitely.

“It's really bittersweet. I had a tear in my eye, watching it with Sheldon,” she said. “She's just so special.”

Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful ($2.40), sent off at 1-5, had been ridden by Russell in 14 of her first 16 starts, eight of them wins, including six stakes led by the July 31 Alma North at historic Pimlico Race Course, his 1,500th career victory.

With Jevian Toledo up, Hello Beautiful broke alertly and was quickly in front as her main challenger, fellow multiple stakes winner Never Enough Time, stumbled from the gate. Hello Beautiful was in command throughout, coasting through a quarter-mile in :22.37 and a half in :45.32 and opening up through the stretch to win under wraps in 1:09.56 over a fast track.

“She's a really special filly. When you have a nice horse like her, anyone can win on her like that,” Toledo said. “I have to give her all the credit. I just put her in the front and she grabbed the bit the whole way. In the stretch, I just showed her the stick and she took off, and when I looked back it was easy enough so I just took hold of her and she came back real easy to me.”

Toledo and Russell, both Maryland year-end champions and multiple meet leaders during their careers, are represented by Marty Leonard.

“We have the same agent and we are mates. You never want to see anyone get hurt. I feel bad because I know how special the filly is to him and for his wife,” Toledo said. “Thank God we were able to get the job done. Hopefully, he can come back and ride her the next time.”

Stakes-placed Coconut Cake, racing for the first time since March 13, finished second with Never Enough Time two lengths back in third. Praise and Honor and Fifteen Royals completed the order of finish.

The Weather Vane is named for the Maryland-bred champion older filly of 1998 that won 17 of 36 career starts and 14 stakes including the 1997 Grade 3 Safely Kept.

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Roselba Holds Off Bramble Bay To Win Pinot Grigio At Monmouth

Roselba took control of the lead midway through the backstretch and then had just enough left to hold off the relentless stretch-long challenge from Bramble Bay to win Saturday's $85,000 Pinot Grigio Handicap by a neck at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Trained by Rory Huston and ridden by Ferrin Peterson, Roselba resisted the prolonged attempt by Bramble Bay to go by in posting her first career stakes victory and second win in the past three starts.

The winning time for the five furlongs over a firm turf course was :56.98. It was another 8½ lengths back in third to Ask Around.

“My strategy was to get the lead,” said Peterson. “There wasn't much pace in the race. When the outside horse (Jersey Jewel) was gunning for it right away I thought that I didn't want to burn my horse up early, so I let her go on with it. But then as we were approaching the turn she was coming over on us to force pressure. I decided I didn't need to get squeezed out and get in trouble, it's five furlongs, you have to let her go. So I let her go again and she was happy to go.

“My main concern was Bramble Bay and I felt going in that I had to open up enough so that Bramble Bay had a lot of ground to make up. I didn't expect him to be that close early on in the stretch. I could hear (jockey) Paco Lopez yelling, I could hear his horse breathing, and I'm screaming to my horse. I love winning that way, when it's really a duel and it takes a horse to show a lot of heart.”

Roselba, a Colonial Farm homebred, paid $5.20 to win in the field of seven Jersey-bred distaffers.

The 5-year-old daughter of Private Interview posted her fourth victory in 16 career starts and is now 2-for-3 sprinting on the grass.

“She's getting better as she gets older,” said Huston. “The other grass race she won she was game in that race as well.

“She is always close (to the speed) early. We figured, as long as she didn't get into a speed duel, she would be fine. Ferrin Peterson had to back off a little bit early on but then made the move for the lead at the right time midway through the backside.”

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Locally Owned Upsets Lone Rock In Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes

Since trainer Tom Morley claimed Locally Owned in February, the 5-year-old gelding had seen the inside of the winner's circle only once in five starts until Saturday, when the son of Distorted Humor made his rail trip in the 1 5/8-mile Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes a winning one. Under jockey Dylan Davis, Locally Owned bided his time in last throughout the early running, picked up his pace on the final turn, and took over the front early in the stretch at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

With Lone Rock going into the gate as the 1-9 favorite, all eyes were on the last-out winner of the Birdstone at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. After a clean break, Mo Gotcha took the lead, with Lone Rock stalking him, Davis sitting chilly on Locally Owned in last. Lone Rock stayed close to Mo Gotcha throughout the first mile, poised to bid for the lead coming out of the final turn as Davis moved Locally Owned on the rail.

Into the stretch, they were three across briefly with Locally Owned finding his closing kick as Mo Gotcha tired. Lone Rock made his bid on the outside, but could not find enough to catch the winner, who crossed the wire a length in front. Mo Gotcha, Chris and Dave, and Empty Tomb rounded out the field.

The final time for the 1 5/8 miles was 2:44.60. Find this race's chart here.

Locally Owned paid $39.00 and $4.10. Lone Rock paid $2.10.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in Kentucky, Locally Owned is out of the Pulpit mare Fiftyshadesofhay. Owned by Flying P Stable, the gelding has two wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 24 starts and career earnings of $461,431.

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