R B's Star ($7) surged past a stubborn Bandits Warrior in deep stretch for a popular half-length victory in Race 8 Sunday at Pimlico Race Course, giving 18-year-old apprentice Jeiron Barbosa his second riding title this year.
Barbosa, a native of Puerto Rico, ended Sunday's 11-race closing day program with a four-win edge, 12-8, over Horacio Karamanos and Angel Cruz during the boutique nine-day stand after taking Race 10 with Rustys Gfivefifty ($14.40). Karamanos was held without a win while Cruz moved into a second-place tie with a victory aboard Bomboloni ($10.80) in Race 3.
Riding with a five-pound weight allowance, Barbosa previously won Laurel Park's 2022 spring meet. Represented by agent Tom Stift, he rode his first professional race Jan. 1 in Puerto Rico where he posted three wins before coming to the U.S. March 23. Two days later Barbosa made his mainland debut at Laurel and won with each of his first two mounts, Heliacal Rising and Ludicrous Mode.
Barbosa was a seven-pound bug when he edged Jevian Toledo, 20-19, this spring to become just the third apprentice in the past decade to lead Laurel's jockey standings following Yomar Ortiz (2013 winter) and Julio Correa (2019 summer). Charlie Marquez, 19, began last year's extended Preakness Meet at Pimlico as an apprentice before becoming a journeyman in late May and finishing as leading rider.
Barbosa won twice on opening day, Sept. 9, and registered wins with three consecutive mounts Sept. 16. He notched another hat trick Sept. 24 including a stakes-quality allowance triumph aboard English Tavern over Grade 1 winner Decorated Invader and fellow graded-stakes winners Wootton Asset and Fancy Liquor. On the same card he ran second with Whispurring Kitten in the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash.
Dale Capuano, Jamie Ness, Jerry Robb, and Mario Serey Jr. finished in a four-way tie for leading trainer with four wins apiece. All four sent out winners Sunday, including back-to-back scores for Capuano with Bomboloni in Race 3 and Jackie A ($7.60) in Race 4.
Serey won Race 2 with Silent Service ($35.80), his lone starter of the day. Ness followed with Angelofcanterbury ($12.40) in Race 5 and Robb won Race 7 with Bernie's On Fire ($4). Ness had a chance to claim the title outright with his final starter, but favored Seiche ran second to Rustys Gfivefifty in Race 10.
Capuano won or shared 18 meet titles at Pimlico between 1988 and 2010, the last time he was leading trainer. The winner of 3,636 career races also owns 13 titles at Laurel Park, the most recent coming in spring 2007.
Ness, second in overall wins this year in Maryland to five-time defending champion Claudio Gonzalez, led Pimlico for the fourth time and first since spring 2019. Robb previously Pimlico's 2018 spring meet title and also owns three Laurel championships. The title was his first in Maryland for Serey, who won the $75,000 Shine Again Sept. 10 with Swayin to and Fro.
Gonzalez and Michael Trombetta tied for second with three wins each. Gonzalez was blanked with three starters Sunday while Trombetta had one win from six starters, Foxtrot Seville ($15.20) in the opener.
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