Month: September 2023

James Wolf's Dollarization sat off dueling Grade 3 winners Jaxon Traveler and Wondrwherecraigis and came with a powerful run through the stretch to spring a three-length upset at odds of 18-1 in Saturday's $100,000 Lite the Fuse at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The Lite the Fuse was one of six stakes worth $650,000 in purses on an 11-race program headlined by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).

Based at Penn National with trainer Tim Kreiser, Dollarization ($39.60) had run second in each of his last three starts including a 6 ½-furlong allowance Aug. 27 at Timonium where he broke poorly and wound up beaten 1 ¾ lengths as the favorite by Al Loves Josie. Al Loves Josie came back to be second in the Sept. 10 Challedon at Pimlico, a race in which Dollarization was withdrawn.

“I scratched last time out of the one hole,” Kreiser said. “So I said, 'Well I guess we go in the stake.' We drew the one [again] and I had no other choice [but to run] because I've got a stake in Pennsylvania for him next month, so it would set us up for that race.

“It shows he belongs,” he added. “Everybody was like, 'Why are you in that race?' The horse tries. He didn't get a good start at Timonium last time, and you know how that track is. You just can't [overcome it]. You go out and horses are saving ground on the inside. He tries every time. No complaints. Hopefully, he moves forward and we can keep doing this kind of stuff.”

Jaxon Traveler, winner of the 2022 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico, broke sharply and went to the front, going the opening quarter-mile in 23.66 seconds with 2021 Bold Ruler (G3) winner Wondrwherecraigis pressing to his outside. Jockey Angel Rodriguez settled Dollarization in third along the rail, flanked by 11-time career winner Stage Left.

The two leaders continued to battle up front, straightening for home together after a half went in 46.72 seconds. Rodriguez maintained his position before tipping out to the middle of the track for a stretch run that saw him reel in two horses that have combined for 14 wins, eight in stakes, and more than $1.1 million in purse earnings. The winning time was 1:11.32 over a fast main track.

“We were hoping that something would transpire up front there, it was about our only shot. It did, and he took advantage of it,” Kreiser said. “He got a ground-saving trip and kind of a perfect trip out of the one-hole, really. It was a lot of fun to watch.”

Sir Alfred James made a late run to be second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Stage Left, It was another head back to Wondrwherecraigis in fourth, with Jaxon Traveler – first or second in five previous tries at Pimlico – checking in fifth. Cowan, Little Roo Roo and Scaramouche were scratched.

It was the second career stakes win for Dollarization following the six-furlong Fabulous Strike last August at Penn National. He was claimed for $16,000 out of a win there the previous October.

“He's actually pretty good. When I claimed him he was very nervous,” Kreiser said. “He's changed a lot. He's matured, obviously, and he loves sprinting. They were running him long all the time when I claimed him. We turned him back and he just seems to be a much better sprinter.”

Wondrwherecraigis went off as the 1-2 favorite in the Lite the Fuse, his first race since finishing second for a third consecutive year in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park. Prior to that effort he ran sixth in the Maryland Sprint May 20 at Pimlico.

“Craig's good. He's all good,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “Maybe [he doesn't like the track]. He ran some good races on it earlier. Maybe we just keep him at Laurel. He likes Laurel. That was a bummer.”

Apple Picker Impresses In Weather Vane

Michael Dubb's Apple Picker made her return to the main track a winning one with an impressive victory in the $100,000 Weather Vane.

Trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russell, Apple Picker covered six furlongs in 1:12.11 for her third victory in eight starts. The 3-year-old daughter of Connect had won in May at Delaware on the main track but then finished off the board on the turf at Laurel in the summer in the Stormy Blues and Searching.

Racing for the first time at Pimlico, Russell settled Apple Picker off the pace down the backstretch while Talk to the Judge, Ms. Bucchero and Late Frost all went to the front past fractions of :23.47 and :46.76. But Russell and Apple Picker drove past Late Frost at the eighth pole before cruising home to victory.

“Looking back, we got such a good set up,” Sheldon Russell said. “This is definitely what she wants to do.”

The Weather Vane pays homage to the Maryland-bred mare trained by Richard W. Delp that won 17 races and $724,532 in purses from 1996 to 1998. A former claimer bred by William B. Delp, Weather Vane went on to register 14 stakes victories including the Safely Kept (G3) and Miss Preakness in 1997, the latter before it was graded, and capped her career by being named Maryland-bred champion older female of 1998.

Full Count Felicia Full of Run in $100,000 All Along

Gold Square's Full Count Felicia, racing for just the second time this year, got into a comfortable rhythm on the front end and rolled to her first stakes victory in eye-catching style with an 8 ½-length romp in the $100,000 All Along.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for his wife, Maryland's leading trainer, Brittany Russell, Full Count Felicia ($4.60) covered the distance in 1:50.36 over a turf course rated good. It was the third straight win for the 4-year-old daughter of War Front dating back to her 2022 season finale last November at Laurel Park.

“She did have a bit of an issue. Not a big deal, but at that time of year when you have a turf horse you kick them out and you do everything right,” Brittany Russell said. “She's just a stronger, heartier filly now being a little bit older. You always wonder about that first time off Lasix, too, things like that, but it doesn't appear to matter.”

Full Count Felicia has won four of five starts since joining Russell last summer, graduating by 6 1/2 lengths in a one-mile maiden special weight at Colonial Downs. She returned to stakes company for the first time since running sixth in the 2022 Virginia Oaks.

Unlike her previous races for the new barn, Full Count Felicia was full of run early and settled nicely through a :23.77  first quarter and a half in ;47.48. Argentinian Group 1 winner Milagrosa Surena tracked in second two wide, with 6-5 favorite Willakia saving ground on the rail in third and Creative Cairo racing outside in fourth.

Full Count Felicia remained in command as the field approached the stretch and opened up on her rivals once straightened for home, drawing away convincingly. Willakia held second, 1 ¼ lengths in front of Creative Cairo, with 40-1 long shot Eight Danzas 1 ½ lengths back in fourth.

“All I did when I legged Sheldon up was I said, 'I don't know what this pace scenario was going to be. Do not choke her out, just let her get comfortable,' and that's what he did,” Russell said. “She was comfortable.”

Intrepid Daydream Sparkles In Shine Again

Paul Fowler Jr.'s 4-year-old homebred filly Intrepid Daydream carried jockey Jevian Toledo past the pacesetter Beneath the Stars entering the stretch and proved much the best in the $75,000 Shine Again.

A Maryland-bred daughter of Jess's Dream, Intrepid Daydream covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:12.74, 1 ½ lengths in front of a closing Deco Strong. Moody Woman rallied for the show.

Intrepid Daydream was rated second down the backstretch behind Beneath the Stars, who set an opening quarter in :23.62 and a half in :46:46. But entering the stretch Intrepid Daydream galloped past the pacesetter and opened up quickly on the rest of the field before driving home to victory.

Intrepid Daydream has now won four of 10 starts with four second-place finishes. Third, beaten less than a length in the Caesar's Wish at Laurel in July, Intrepid Daydream was cutting back in distance after finishing second by a head last time out at seven furlongs at Colonial Downs.

“Days like today are big,” Fowler said.

“It set up good,” said trainer Gary Capuano. “She broke well, and she had a great post, great position. She just kind of followed that horse a little bit and then when it was time to go she just kind of went on by. She kind of waits on horses a little bit at the end so I'm always worried about whether she's going to hang there, but she's come a long way.

The Shine Again honors Allaire duPont's fourth generation Maryland homebred mare that retired in 2003 after winning 14 of 34 starts, seven stakes and nearly $1.3 million in purses. Trained by late Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, she won back-to-back editions of the Ballerina (G1) in 2001 and 2002 and was second in 2003.

Witty Is No Joke In Ben's Cat

After finishing second in his last four starts – and five of his last six – Elizabeth Merryman's homebred Witty found his way to the winner's circle with a very game head victory over Sky's Not Falling in the $75,000 Ben's Cat.

Witty covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :58.59.

A 4-year-old gelding by Great Notion out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, Witty's victory was the fifth of his 17-race career. The gelding also has seven runner-up finishes and earnings of more than $400,000.

A winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery as a 2-year-old and Spectacular Bid at Laurel as a 3-year-old, Witty entered the Ben's Cat after finishing second in the Laurel Dash and Wolf Hill in July and Marshall Jenney at Parx in August.

After breaking cleanly and racing sixth down the backstretch under jockey Jevian Toledo while Commander General and Matta went an opening quarter in :22.51, Witty moved up around the turn and four-wide entering the stretch. Despite a game try by Sky's Not Falling, who encountered some traffic down the stretch, Witty wouldn't let anyone by, gamely getting the victory.

“I think the main thing with him is he's gotten some confidence on the turf,” Merryman said. As for Witty's future, she added, “All things working out well, I would love to go to the Maryland Million Turf Sprint.”

The post Pimlico Stakes Roundup: Dollarization Among Winners On BWI Turf Cup Undercard appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Willow Lane Stables Inc. homebred Highestdistinction, better than ever at the age of 6, ran his win streak to three races with a second consecutive stakes triumph and first in graded company in Saturday's $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 17th running of the one-mile BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up was the headliner on an 11-race program that featured six stakes, three each scheduled for grass and dirt, worth $650,000 in purses on the penultimate weekend of Pimlico's boutique nine-day fall meet.

In earlier turf stakes action, Full Count Felicia wired the $100,000 All Along for fillies and mares 3 and older going 1 1/8 miles and Witty was a determined winner of the $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs.

On the main track, Dollarization sprung an 18-1 upset in the $100,000 Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up, Apple Picker made a successful return to dirt in the $100,000 Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies, and Intrepid Daydream prevailed in the $75,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up that have not won an open sweepstakes, all sprinting six furlongs.

Ridden by Jairo Rendon for Monmouth Park-based trainer Lindsay Schultz, Highestdistinction ($7.80) covered the distance in 1:36.63 over a turf course rated good. It was the fourth stakes victory this summer for Schultz, a former Maryland-based assistant to Tom Proctor that began training full time last year.

Schultz also won the Iselin (G3) with Whelen Springs Aug. 19 and the Oceanport with Highestdistinction Aug. 13, both at Monmouth, and the Edward P. Evans with Alex Joon July 15 at Colonial Downs.

“This pretty special,” Schultz said. “It's been such a great summer. We've been lucky to have some really nice horses, some improving horses and some nice 3-year-olds. We've just had a great time.”

The latest career highlight came courtesy of Highestdistinction, bred and owned by Willow Lane's John Kuehl, who had the Point of Entry gelding with Proctor and trainers Randy Morse and Robert Medina before coming Schultz in the spring.

“This horse came to me because of Tom Proctor, who I worked for most of my time on the racetrack. John Kuehl is an owner. Tom's become private now so he was able to send me this horse and another one for the owner and it's been great,” Schultz said. “John decided to give the horse the winter off and kind of let him reset, and he hasn't looked back.”

Winner of the 1 1/8-mile Buckland last summer, King Vega was hustled to the front from his outside post by jockey Forest Boyce and went a quarter-mile in 23.46 seconds while 6-5 favorite Smokin' T chased in second racing two wide, multiple New Jersey-bred stakes winner He'spuregold saved ground along the rail and Highestdistinction trailed while kept in the clear by Rendon.

King Vega maintained his advantage after a half in 47.52 seconds as Smokin' T ranged up alongside to challenge and Rendon began working on Highestdistinction on the far outside. As they were set down for a drive at the top of the stretch, King Vega and Highestdistinction came together briefly before Highestdistinction gathered himself up and steadily pulled clear of King Vega in second.

Smokin' T, winner of the Lure at Saratoga and third by less than a length in the Mint Millions (G3) in his last two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, the latter just two weeks prior, edged He'spuregold by a half-length for third. Wolfie's Dynaghost, Cazadero and main-track-only entrants Doppelganger and Business Model were scratched.

“Jairo really knows how to ride this horse. You don't want to stop him from his run, you want to let him get going and get into a good stride. Sometimes coming on the outside isn't the best in turf racing but it seems to work for this horse, so we left it up to Jairo,” Schultz said. “He looked Smokin' T in the eye there and kind of kicked again.”

Highestdistinction, who was produced by the Sightseeing mare Honor Your Gift, now has five wins from 21 starts. His current streak began with a 7 ½-furlong allowance July 14 at Delaware Park over a turf course rated soft and continued in his stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Oceanport, where he went off at odds of 10-1.

“These older horses, once they start to get some confidence you don't know how good they can be,” Schultz said. “This horse, he got a little confidence in Delaware and got his nose in front at the wire and we thought we'd try him in the listed race. We're at home at Monmouth. When he won that we said he's doing so good we've got to try a Grade 3. The owner bred him and still has the mare, so this is huge.”

This marked the third straight year the BWI Turf Cup was held at Pimlico after being contested at Laurel Park from 2015-19. It was run as the Colonial Turf Cup from 2005-13 at Colonial Downs, returned to the schedule in 2015 at Laurel as the Commonwealth Cup, was renamed the Commonwealth Turf Cup for 2016 and was shelved in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Past winners of the BWI Turf Cup include champion English Channel; fellow millionaires Showing Up, Battle of Hastings, Paddy O'Prado, Rahystrada, Mr Speaker, and Field Pass, who captured the $75,000 Find Aug. 19 at Laurel in his first try against Maryland-breds. Last year's BWI Turf Cup was won by Set Piece, who earned Grade 1 credentials Aug. 12 in the Arlington Million.

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Godolphin's Irish homebred Eternal Hope, patiently handled by Jamie Spencer, arrived in the final jumps to capture Saturday's $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3), an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Teofilo chestnut rallied wide from last-of-7 as the even-money favorite to post a neck score over 14-1 shot Neecie Marie, who had dove to the rail with an impressive inside rush under Abner Adorno.

“She struggled a lot from the three-eighths to the straight. Once it straightened up, she was able to get balanced, then she surged up,” Spencer said. “It's a difficult track and there's not a track in Europe as tight as this. It's really fast ground, so it's a speed test. I think you can up her performance based on what happened today.”

Eternal Hope was off slow and settled at the back of the pack as the Junior Alvarado-piloted Stephanie's Charm, the longest shot on the board at 52-1, opened up an ambitious 12-length lead through splits of :24.12 and :47.52 over the firm footing with Quarrel tracking from second position.

Quarrel took over from a tiring Stephanie's Charm late in the final turn as Highland Grace launched her bid from third with Neecie Marie and Eternal Hope getting into gear from the rear of the field. Spencer guided Eternal Hope to the outside through the turn and had clear sailing traveling six-wide for the stretch drive, while Abner Adorno took a ground-saving path with Neecie Marie, surging to the inside of the fading Quarrel.

The two foes dueled from the sixteenths pole to the wire, but there was no denying Eternal Hope, who gained ground with every stride and secured the narrow win in a final time of 2:16.47. It was one length back to the closing Speirling Beag in third with Highland Grace, Quarrel, Stephanie's Charm and Last Call rounding out the order of finish.

Spencer said he changed plans from a close, stalking trip after breaking a step slow.

“She was good in the gate, but when the attendant came in with the number seven [Speirling Beag] and stood beside her, she was looking at him rather than when the gates opened and missed a beat,” Spencer said. “The pace was fine and I was always kind of only two or three lengths off the ones I wanted to be close to anyways, so it worked out good.”

Adorno said Neecie Marie fought gamely to the finish.

“She went inside and there wasn't anything else I could have done. She just kept on going and she got beat by a very nice horse,” Adorno said. “I got my spot on the rail and I knew she was running, but I knew someone else was coming with her. It is what it is.”

Eternal Hope captured the 12-furlong Oaks Trial over the Lingfield synthetic in May ahead of a distant seventh in the Epsom Oaks (G1) in June. She arrived from a strong third-place finish in the 10-furlong Prix Alec Head (G2) over soft going on August 20 at Deauville, finishing 1 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Group 1-winner Jannah Rose. The runner-up of that event, Lumiere Rock, came back to win the Blandford (G2) on Sunday at The Curragh.

Eternal Hope's victory was bookended within minutes by a pair of Grade 1 efforts from Appleby-trained Godolphin homebreds at Woodbine where Dazzling Star was a troubled third in the Natalma followed by a dominant score from Master of the Seas in the Woodbine Mile.

“Very happy to get the win on the board,” said Chris Connett, traveling assistant for Appleby. “Jamie came back and said the ground is a bit on the quick side for her, so it was nice that she was able to put forth a performance on ground that's probably not ideal for her.

“Ideally, we'd be in the box seat right off the pace and start making a run a little earlier,” Connett added. “But she was a bit tardy and Jamie lost a bit of ground going wide, but he needed to get her rolling because it's quite sharp around here. When she straightened up and leveled out, she ran to the line so that was good.”

Michael Milam's Pennsylvania-bred Neecie Marie, trained by Butch Reid, Jr., entered from a rallying 2 1/4-length score in the state-bred Mrs. Penny on August 21 at Parx. She is out of the Ontario-bred Posse mare Lode Lady, who is a half-sister to 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1)-winner Rich Strike and Grade 2-winning turfer Llanarmon.

“She proved that she belonged at this level, it's big,” Reid said. “It was a little shorter field, and she was able to save ground on all three turns. Abner did a fantastic job. It was just a question of a mile and three-eighths but I don't think there's any limit to how far she can go. She really gave us a thrill there for a little while.”

The Jockey Club Oaks is the final leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which began with Aspen Grove's victory in the 10-furlong Grade 1, Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 8 at Belmont Park and saw Elusive Princess capture the middle leg in the 1 3/16-mile  Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G1) on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course.

Eternal Hope, who returned $4 for a $2 win bet, is out of the Dubawi mare Voice of Truth, who is a half-sister to multiple group-winner and sire Rio de La Plata. She banked $192,500 in victory while improving her record to 6-3-0-2.

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