Cordmaker Gets Seventh Career Stakes Win In Richard W. Small At Laurel

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, still going strong at the age of 6, overpowered several younger rivals including 3-year-old favorite Shackqueenking to register his seventh career stakes victory, a 1 ¾-length decision over Workin On a Dream in Saturday's $100,000 Richard W. Small at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 21st running of the 1 1/8-mile Small for 3-year-olds and up, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, was the last of three $100,000 stakes on the program, preceded by the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, each sprinting seven furlongs.

Cordmaker ($12.20) ran second in last year's Small to Harpers First Ride, who went on to win the historic Grade 3 Pimlico Special, a race where Cordmaker finished third for the second consecutive year. The winning time Saturday was 1:50.48 over a fast main track.

“It's great for the horse and the barn and [owner] Mrs. [Ellen] Charles,” winning trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “It's a nice thing all around.”

With regular rider Victor Carrasco aboard, Cordmaker settled in third as 17-1 long shot Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking led the way, going the opening quarter-mile in :24.58 and a half in :47.59. Racing in the clear, Cordmaker closed the gap after six furlongs went in 1:11.84 and swooped to the front at the top of the stretch, running a mile in 1:37.14.

“I wanted him to stay closer. We've been taking him, not way out of it, but pretty far and that's a lot of ground to make up in a stakes race,” Jenkins said. “I told Victor, 'Keep him up in there and make them run,' and he did. Victor gave him a great ride.”

Shackqueenking finished third, with two lengths separating him from runner-up Workin On a Dream and Forewarned in fourth. They were followed by Informative, Tappin Cat, Mischief Afoot, Treasure Trove, Bustoff, and McElmore Avenue.

Cordmaker, a gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, added to his lead in the MATCH Series' 3-year-olds and up long dirt division with his 11th career victory from 33 starts, pushing his lifetime bankroll over $700,000 and bouncing back from being disqualified from second to sixth for interference in the Sept. 18 Polynesian at Laurel.

“His last race, when he had that [incident] down here, you never know how they're going to react the next time, and that made me nervous,” Jenkins said. “But he came around great.”

Formerly run as the Broad Brush, the multi-millionaire and four-time Grade 1 winner he trained, the Richard W. Small was renamed following the beloved horseman's death from cancer in 2014. Baltimore-born 'Dickie' Small served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a Green Beret before becoming a trainer, also campaigning Broad Brush's son, 1994 G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Concern. He won at least one stakes race in Maryland every year but one between 1974 and 2014 and is also known for helping launch the riding careers of female jockeys such as Andrea Seefeldt, Jerilyn Brown, Rosie Napravnik, and Forest Boyce.

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Another Mystery Upsets Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes At Fair Grounds

Clean trips are hard to come by for late closing horses. Another Mystery knows it well. Steadied twice and stuck in traffic before finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., last out, this Illinois homebred by Temple City out of the classy broodmare Ioya Two entered Saturday's $75,000 Bob F. Wright Memorial for Team Block with darkened form. With new pilot Jareth Loveberry guiding this late flyer, Another Mystery ($23.60) saved ground and found the lane needed to strut his best stuff in the stretch, passing the 1.10-1 favorite and Godolphin millionaire Pixelate to score a neck victory at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La.

Attracting a classy field with three graded stakes winners, this inaugural running of the Bob F Wright Memorial had the makings of a stunner from when the card was drawn. With four horses who knew how to win out front running across a turf course that has been kind to sent horses early in the meet, so much depended on the tactics each jockey would deploy.

“Trying to follow the right horse,” Loveberry said. “The 1 horse [Pixelate], I thought that was the one to follow and I just got the trip behind him the whole race. I saved ground and followed him.”

Running two lengths behind Pixelate early while tracking fractions of :24.88, :49.40, and 1:14.03 set by Forty Under, Another Mystery kept stride on the rail throughout both turns. He lacked room for a bid at the three-sixteenths pole. Fed up while awaiting a lane to open up, Loveberry tipped Another Mystery Out out and this Chris Block-trained bay 5-year-old kept to business finding more. He edged Pixelate to pull off the 10.80-1 upset. It was another length back to the hard-charging Monarchs Glen in third. The pacesetter Forty Under checked in fourth.

With the victory, Another Mystery raised his record to 22-6-2-3 with a bankroll of $282,850.

“Chris Block did a really good job training this horse, and I appreciate it a lot,” Loveberry said. “He was trained really good. I worked Another Mystery a couple times at Arlington. He brought it today.”

The newcomers to the jockey colony are shining on the opening weekend at Fair Grounds. Although Colby Hernandez leads with five wins, Reylu Gutierrez and Deshawn L. Parker have scored four apiece. With rides like the one he had on Another Mystery, Jareth Loveberry could give them all a run for their money.

“Finally got it off my back,” Loveberry said. “It was my first win.”

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Arrest Me Red Goes Gate To Wire In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship

Lael Stable's homebred Arrest Me Red made every pole a winning one, staving off an inside rally from Pulsate to prevail in Saturday's $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Arrest Me Red was scratched out of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., which was won by his stablemate Golden Pal. Re-routed to the Big A, the sophomore son of Pioneerof the Nile turned back older company with a game display in the six-furlong outer turf test.

“He did great. He ran very, very professional,” Ward said. “I just feel bad that he had a minor foot issue, otherwise he would have had a good run in the Breeders' Cup.”

Arrest Me Red, with Paco Lopez up, marked off splits of :22.69 and :45.60 over the firm going with defending race winner Turned Aside tracking in second and Backtohisroots pressing three-wide in third.

Pulsate, with Manny Franco up, settled into fourth position as Arrest Me Red took the field to the turn with Backtohisroots advancing with purpose. Arrest Me Red opened up a one-length lead at the stretch call and kicked for home with a ground-saving Pulsate trying to surge up the rail.

Lopez kept to task aboard Arrest Me Red and the talented bay held on for a neck win in a final time of 1:09.43. Pulsate completed the exacta by 1 3/4 lengths over the late-running Chewing Gum.

Lopez, aboard Arrest Me Red for the first time, said he was impressed by the colt's winning efforts in the Mahony in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the G3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., last out on October 2.

“I saw his last couple races and knew he was fast,” Lopez said. “There wasn't much speed today. I broke and put my horse in the race and waited for competition. I saw the horse coming to the inside [Pulsate] and I put a little pressure. That horse is a very good horse. Wesley knows what he is doing.”

Franco said Pulsate, who he guided to victory in the Lucky Coin in September at the Spa, was timid when asked to pass along the hedge.

“I had the room to go through, but my horse just hesitated a little bit,” Franco said. “He was coming the last sixteenth of a mile. When I rode him to the wire, he responded to me. He just got a little bit tired. He ran well though.”

Backtohisroots, Value Proposition, Big Package, Maxwell Esquire, Omaha City, and Turned Aside completed the order of finish. Grateful Bred, who broke through the gate ahead of the race, was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Arrest Me Red banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to five wins from seven starts. He paid $6.50 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring the $150,000 Autumn Days in Race 7, the $200,000 G3 Fall Highweight in Race 8, and the $100,000 Tepin in Race 9. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Tejano Twist Takes Inaugural Running Of Lively Shively At Churchill Downs

Tom Durant's homebred Tejano Twist tracked a quick early pace and surged down the stretch to win Saturday's inaugural running of the $200,000 Lively Shively for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., by a half-length over Barber Road.

Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Joe Rocco Jr., Tejano Twist covered the 6 ½ furlongs on a fast track in 1:16.82.

A 2-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Practical Joke out of the Cuvee mare Haley's Lollypop, Tejano Twist improved his record to 3-3-0 in eight starts and added $122,070 to his bankroll and increased his earnings to $260,670. Previously, he won a first-level allowance/optional claiming event at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 22 by 7 ¼ lengths.

Tejano Twist returned $4.40, $3.00, and $2.60 as the 6-5 favorite in the field of six juvenile sprinters. Barber Road, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $6.20 and $3.80 with Cool Papa G finishing third under Joel Rosario and paying $3 to show.

Chattalot, who led the way through early fractions of :22.96 and :46.01, faded to fourth and was followed by Hoist the Gold and Ignitis. Charter Oak and Ready to March were scratched.

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