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Street Sense Filly Named Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show Champion

Katharine M. Voss' filly by Street Sense out of Belterra, by Unbridled, stood out from the rest of her competitors as judge Gary Contessa selected her as grand champion of the 87th annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association's Yearling Show, held Sunday, Aug. 1 at the Timonium Fairgrounds horse show ring in Timonium, Md.

Bred by the late Robert T. Manfuso, the champion filly was the winner of Class IV (for fillies foaled in Maryland, by out-of-state sires). A daughter of Manfuso's homebred Grade 2 winner Belterra, she was shown by Chanceland's manager Casey Randall.

“We all know that on a horse, the engine is in the rear, and she's got like a 400-horsepower engine in that rear end,” said Contessa. “I mean the colts looked great, the [reserve champion] filly looked great, but she was just the most powerful filly. She was classy, she had the ears up, she had the shoulders that matched the engine, she just had it all in my opinion.”

A total of 87 yearlings in four classes were judged by four-time New York leading trainer Contessa, who is now based at Delaware Park.

The reserve championship went to Hillwood Stable's homebred filly by Great Notion out of Dearie Be Good, by Scrimshaw, winner of Class III for fillies foaled in Maryland by Maryland sires.

Great Notion was awarded the Northview Stallion Station Trophy as the leading sire of the show.

All yearlings who entered the show ring are now eligible for the $40,000 premium award which is split annually, with $20,000 going to the exhibitors of the four show contestants who earn the most money as 2-year-olds during 2022, and another $20,000 divided among the exhibitors of the four highest-earning 3-year-old runners the next year.

Complete results follow:

Class I: For colts and geldings foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in Maryland (28 exhibited):
1. b.c., 5/2/20, Mosler—Keep Right, by Street Cry (Ire). Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Keep Right LLC, Bel Air, Md.

2. dk.b./br.c., 4/8/20, Golden Lad—Renaissance Rosie, by Jump Start. Owned and bred by Ann B. Jackson, White Hall, Md.

3. Dowsing Rod, ch.c., 1/17/20, Divining Rod—Final Humor, by Distorted Humor. Owned by David and Lori Hughes and Men's Grille Racing, Potomac, Md. Bred by Country Life Farm.

4. Southern Lad, ch.c., 4/7/20, Golden Lad—Southern Peach, by East of Easy. Owned and bred by Leaf Stable, Upperco, Md.

5. b.c., 3/2/20, Great Notion—Corbeau, by Dance With Ravens. Owned by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md. Bred by Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine M. Voss.

Class II: For colts and geldings foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in states other than Maryland (18 exhibited):
1. b.c., 5/3/20, Union Rags—Safe Journey, by Flatter. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.

2. dk.b./br.c., 1/31/20, Malibu Moon—Madison Avenue, by Quality Road. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.

3. b.c., 4/22/20, Union Rags—Joy, by Pure Prize. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.

4. Frosted Temptation, dk.b./br.c., 4/15/20, Frosted—Happy Refrain, by Not For Love. Owned and bred by Sallyellen M. Hurst and Godolphin, Glen Arm, Md.

5. b.c., 4/15/20, West Coast—Dr. Diamonds Prize, by Pure Prize. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Dorsey Brown, Mr. and Mrs. David Schwaber and Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Davidov, Upperco, Md.

Class III: For fillies foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in Maryland (25 exhibited):
1. dk.b./br.f., 3/17/20, Great Notion—Dearie Be Good, by Scrimshaw. Owned and bred by Hillwood Stable LLC, Washington, D.C.

2. b.f., 2/14/20, Divining Rod—Imagistic, by Deputy Minister. Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Imagistic Broodmare II LLC, Bel Air, Md.

3. b.f., 3/6/20, Great Notion—Caramore, by Purge. Owned and bred by Timothy J. Rooney, Palm Beach, Fla.

4. Willful Desire, b.f., 1/19/20, Friesan Fire—Will Do, by Roman Ruler. Owned and bred by Bell Gable Stable, Chesapeake City, Md.

5. b.f., 2/15/20, Golden Lad—Any Given Chance, by Any Given Saturday. Owned and bred by Sugarland LLC Equine Etiquette, Poolesville, Md.

Class IV: For fillies foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in states other than Maryland (16 exhibited):
1. dk.b./br.f., 3/5/20, Street Sense—Belterra, by Unbridled. Owned by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md. Bred by Estate of Robert T. Manfuso.

2. b.f., 4/25/20, Tiznow—Pinkprint, by Not For Love. Owned by GreenMount Farm and Winstar Farm, Upperco, Md. Bred by GreenMount Farm and Tiznow Syndicate.

3. b.f., 2/10/20, Unified—No, by Animal Kingdom. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.

4. gr./ro.f., 3/11/20, Cross Traffic—Your Flame in Me, by Boundary. Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Your Flame in Me LLC, Bel Air, Md.

5. dk.b./br.f., 4/28/20, Unified—Flit, by Not For Love. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.

Champion: dk.b./br.f., 3/5/20, Street Sense—Belterra, by Unbridled. Owned by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md. Bred by Estate of Robert T. Manfuso.

Reserve Champion: dk.b./br.f., 3/17/20, Great Notion—Dearie Be Good, by Scrimshaw. Owned and bred by Hillwood Stable LLC, Washington, D.C.

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Russell Rides Hello Beautiful To Alma North Victory, Gets 1,500th Winner

Jockey Sheldon Russell celebrated his 1,500th career victory in style Saturday, guiding Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful to a popular 3 ¾-length score in the $100,000 Alma North at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The fifth running of the Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and older was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the final program of July, followed by the Challedon, also sprinting six furlongs, and 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony, both for 3-year-olds and up.

All three races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

It was the eighth career win and sixth in a stakes for Hello Beautiful ($2.20), who is trained by Russell's wife, Brittany. The final time of 1:09.63 was the fastest of two runnings at the current distance.

“It's always anxious because she means so much to us and she's been so good,” Sheldon Russell said. “As soon as she got the first quarter, I knew that she was in her happy place and it was cruise control from there. The final time was extremely impressive. She's a good filly.

“I'm just very happy that we got it out of the way, and for it to happen on Hello Beautiful. She's been a great filly throughout my career, she's given me some great wins,” he added. “She was mine and Brittany's first stakes winner together, so for me to reach a milestone on one of our favorite fillies, it's something I'll never forget.”

To commemorate the milestone, Russell teamed with agent Marty Leonard to gift Hello Beautiful's groom, Luis Barajas, with $1,500. It was a gesture Russell began with $1,000 for his 1,000th winner on March 7, 2015, with Shayjolie in the Cat Cay at Aqueduct.

“Luis has been with us for about a year now. He's a key role behind the scenes at the barn and he takes care of some really, really nice fillies,” Russell said. “He's got years of experience, so when they come with that kind of background, straight away when he came into Brittany's barn she gave him the best five horses pretty much that she has.

“It's good that the money's coming home. I see these guys on a daily basis and for them to make the extra money is always great,” he added. “Just finally to have gotten the 1,500, we can start moving forward now. I was starting to feel the pressure there. I had a couple of close finishes [Friday] and then today. It takes the pressure off.”

Beaten at the wire in his first mount of the day, 3-5 favorite Make It a Double in Race 2 for trainer Anthony Farrior, Russell and Hello Beautiful quickly established command as the 1-9 choice in a field of five. They rolled through a quarter-mile in :23.41 and a half in :45.84 with mild pressure from Call On Mischief.

Hello Beautiful straightened for home in front and shook loose through the stretch from Call On Mischief, who stayed up for second by a neck over Precious, followed by Bluefield and Paisley Singing. Club Car was scratched.

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It was the first win in three tries at Pimlico for Hello Beautiful, having run third in her May 10, 2019 unveiling and second by a neck to undefeated Chub Wagon in the June 13 Shine Again. Bred in Maryland by Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable, Hello Beautiful was picked out and purchased by Brittany Russell for $6,500 at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December 2018 mixed sale.

“The question was always is she a horse for the course at Laurel and she's run two big races at Pimlico now so it's good that she can run on a different surface, as well. It feels great,” Brittany Russell said.

Hello Beautiful won the Jan. 16 What A Summer, 2020 Safely Kept and Maryland Million Distaff, and 2019 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Maryland Million Lassie, all with Sheldon Russell aboard at Laurel Park. She now has earnings of $464,610 from 16 lifetime starts and a milestone win for husband and wife, who are parents to daughter, Edy, who turns 2 next month, and are expecting a second child in November.

“It's really incredible it worked out that way, especially because [Sheldon] was on a very live horse of Farrior's in the second race and they're very good friends of ours,” she added. “I would have been just as happy to see him do it on his horse, but then when the horse got nailed on the line, selfishly I thought, 'Ok. It's going to be the big filly.' She means so much to us. It's very special.”

Russell was Maryland's overall leading rider in 2011 and has won eight career meet titles, the most recent coming at Laurel Park's calendar year-ending 2020 fall stand. He has battled various injuries over the course of his career and currently ranks second to Charlie Marquez for the state's most wins in 2021.

“In this game, you've got to stay healthy. The wins will always come. Knock on wood, we've been on a bit of a roll here and not been injured for a while,” Sheldon Russell said. “Just very fortunate. I'm happy to get to this milestone; hopefully, we can get to 2,000.”

The Alma North is named for the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year in 1971 and Maryland-bred champion older filly of 1972. Owned by the late Eugene Mori's East Acres Stable, Alma North won 23 of 78 career starts with $513,597 in purse earnings from 1970-74. Her victories included graded-stakes scores in the Grade 1 Matchmaker and Grade 2 Vineland, Grade 3 Margate, and Grade 3 Betsy Ross handicaps in 1973.

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Valued Notion Wins Stakes Debut In Ben’s Cat

Valued Notion made his stakes debut a memorable one for owner Hillwood Stable LLC and trainer Rodney Jenkins when he led gate-to-wire under jockey Xavier Perez to win the $75,000 Ben's Cat by two lengths over Air Token. Oldies But Goodies checked in third while favored Hemp, who broke slowly, finished fourth.

Valued Notion, a lightly raced 4-year-old gelded son of Great Notion, covered the 5 furlongs in :58.19 over the main track after the races were taken off the turf.

Breaking from post 10, Valued Notion broke out of the gate quickly and was chased from the outside by longshot Xmasinthecity past an opening quarter in :22.22 and a half in :45.47. But entering the stretch, Perez put away Xmasinthecity and held off the remainder of his opponents.

“He was in contention right away. I was just trying to let the 12 [Xmasinthecity] go ahead of me,” Perez said. “I watched a couple of his races and he kind of slowed down at the end. As soon as I put my horse against the bit, he took me to the front and I just cruised. He was doing it so comfortable and I just let him do it himself until we got to the top of the lane.”

Valued Notion, who broke his maiden at third asking in February, followed up that victory with an allowance victory before finishing a tired fourth in his last start April 9.

Bred, owned and trained by Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury, Ben's Cat won 32 of 63 career races, 26 stakes, and more than $2.6 million in purses from 2010 to 2017. A four-time Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, Ben's Cat died July 18, 2017 from complications following colic surgery.

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Knicks Go Named 2020 Maryland-Bred Horse Of The Year

The fourth annual Renaissance Awards, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club, which recognizes excellence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Maryland in the past year, went virtual this year.

Throughout the week of Feb. 22, awards were presented through the MHBA's social media accounts to the top Maryland owner, trainer, jockey, breeder, broodmare and stallion, Backstretch Workers of the Year, one for Pimlico Race Course and one for Laurel Park, MTHA's Unsung Hero, as well as the champion Maryland-breds of 2020.

Record-breaking Grade 1 winner Knicks Go took home top honors as Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male.

Owned by Korea Racing Authority and trained by Brad H. Cox, Knicks Go capped off an impressive year by breaking the track record at Keeneland with his victory in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, notching his second Grade 1 victory by 3 1/2 lengths as he stopped the clock in 1:33.85. He went into the Breeders' Cup after securing a 10 1/4-length victory in a 1 1/16 mile allowance at Keeneland, where he broke the track record in 1:40.79, which was preceded by an allowance victory at Oaklawn Park in February. A perfect three for three in 2020, the son of Paynter earned $608,440.

Knicks Go, bred by Angie Moore, was sold as a weanling for $40,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, and later purchased for $87,000 as a yearling by Korea Racing Authority at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. Only the fifth Maryland-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race, his share of the purse ($520,000) propelled him beyond the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Other divisional champions:

Champion 2-year-old male: Jaxon Traveler (dk.b./br.c., 2018, by Munnings—Listen Boy, by After Market). Bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau; owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner; trained by Steven M. Asmussen.

Champion 2-year-old filly: Street Lute (ch. f., 2018, by Street Magician—Alottalute, by Midnight Lute). Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman; owned by Lucky 7 Stables; trained by John J. Robb.

Champion 3-year-old male: Field Pass (gr./ro.c, 2017, by Lemon Drop Kid—Only Me, by Runaway Groom). Bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm; trained by Michael J. Maker.

Champion 3-year-old filly and champion turf runner: Sharing (ch.f., 2017, by Speightstown—Shared Account, by Pleasantly Perfect). Bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); trained by H. Graham Motion.

Champion older female: Never Enough Time (dk.b./br.m., 2016, by Munnings—What Time It Is, by Partner's Hero). Bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson; trained by Michael J. Trombetta.

Champion sprinter: Laki (ch.g., 2013, by Cuba—Truthful Dutch, by Swear by Dixie). Bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows; trained by Damon R. Dilodovico.

Also presented were the annual breeder, stallion and broodmare of the year awards. Angie Moore, breeder of 2020 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male Knicks Go, was crowned the Maryland Breeder of the Year, while Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC and Hillwood Stable LLC's Love's Reason, dam of 2019 Maryland-bred champion older female Majestic Reason, won Maryland Broodmare of the Year and Northview Stallion Station's Great Notion took home the title of Maryland Stallion of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.

Other award winners for 2020 include Robert Bone, Maryland Owner of the Year; Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland Trainer of the Year; Trevor McCarthy, Maryland Jockey of the Year. Edgar Gallegos was honored as the Pimlico Backstretch Worker of the Year, while Antonio Lopez Salazar earned the title of Laurel Backstretch Employee of the Year, and jockey Victor Carrasco was recognized as the MTHA's Unsung Hero.

Watch the video announcements for each champion and award winner here

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