Two days after winning the first million-dollar race of his career at Parx Racing near Philadelphia, jockey Edwin Maldonado was back at Santa Anita working horses Monday morning.
Maldonado's milestone victory came in front-running fashion aboard Ceiling Crusher in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies. Ceiling Crusher is a California-bred daughter of Mr. Big trained by Doug O'Neill.
Maldonado won the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion on a sloppy and sealed track after heavy rain pelted Parx for most of the day.
“It was quite an experience,” said Maldonado, whose only previous Grade 1 win came in last year's Awesome Again at Santa Anita aboard Defunded. “I haven't ridden in the rain in a long time. It reminded me of riding in Louisiana at Delta Downs.
“But it worked out great because the track got fast the end of the day when it started drying out. That worked out in our favor.”
Sent off the 3-1 co-second choice, Maldonado and Ceiling Crusher clicked off fractions of 22.31 seconds for the opening quarter mile, 47.64 for a half mile and 1:12.98 for six furlongs. They crossed the wire in a final time of 1:45.69, which earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
“The pace was great,” Maldonado said. “I think it was the 1:12 that did it. I got a little break around the second turn. Turning for home I knew I had a lot of horse.”
Bred by Harris Farms, Ceiling Crusher was purchased for $22,000 at the 2021 CTBA Northern California Yearling Sale. She has won six of seven starts and banked $938,400 for owners Wonderland Racing Stables, Todd Cady, Tim Kasparoff and Ty Leatherman.
The post ‘It Reminded Me Of Riding In Louisiana’: Parx Slop Nothing New As Edwin Maldonado Nabs First Million-Dollar Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
