horacio karamanos | Horse Racing Free Tips

Harpers First Ride, Whereshetoldmetogo, Air Token Take Laurel Fall Festival Of Racing Stakes

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, Maryland-bred winner of the historic Pimlico Special (G3) last month, swept past his rivals on the far outside around the turn and powered through the stretch to a three-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Richard W. Small at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 25th running of the Small at about 1 1/16 miles and $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley at six furlongs, both for 3-year-olds and up, were among six stakes worth $600,000 in purses on the Fall Festival of Racing program that included the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs.

Favored at even money in a field of 10 featuring fellow graded-stakes winners Name Changer and Monongahela, multiple graded-stakes placed Cordmaker and Bal Harbour and Mexican Triple Crown winner Kukulkan, Harpers First Ride ($4) completed the distance in 1:41.92 over a fast main track.

It was the second career Small victory for trainer Claudio Gonzalez following Afleet Willy in 2017 and first for Angel Cruz, also aboard for wins in the Pimlico Special and Primonetta that preceded a last out second to Monday Morning Qb in the Maryland Million Classic.

“He's a special horse,” Cruz said. “He gave me my biggest win of the year and he just gave me another one. Those horses are special. They mean a lot, and when you get on them, it means more.”

Bal Harbour, dropping out of graded-stakes company for the first time in 12 races dating back to December 2018, and multiple Pennsylvania-bred stakes winner Wait for It battled through a quarter-mile in 23.14 seconds and a half in 46.24 with Cordmaker – third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special – and 2019 Iowa Derby winner side-by-side tracking in behind.

Having settled by himself in fifth, Harpers First Ride got his cue rounding the far turn responded by coasting to the lead on the extreme outside. Set down by Cruz at the top of the stretch, the 4-year-old gelding sprinted clear as Cordmaker took second and Name Changer edged Top Line Growth by a length for fourth.

Forewarned, Midnight Act, Monongahela, Bal Harbour, Wait for It and Kukulkan completed the order of finish.

“We knew there a couple horses that had a lot of speed and my horse is just a game horse and he's even, he doesn't have that much speed. But he broke good and I sent him and he sat behind the pace. He just relaxed for me and on the far turn, I had a lot of horse,” Cruz said. “When I tapped him he responded to me. I had tons of horse. He ran his heart out today.”

Whereshetoldmetogo Edges Laki in $100,000 Frank Whiteley
Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and Black Cloud Racing Stable's Whereshetoldmetogo, disqualified from a stakes win in his previous start, outran favored Laki down the stretch and survived a double claim of foul to capture the eighth running of the $100,000 Frank Whiteley.

Laki broke sharply from his outside post but ceded the early lead to longshots Arthur's Hope and Zenden, in front after a sharp opening quarter-mile in 21.59 seconds. Day the Music Died, who broke a step slow, rushed up the rail to be third with Laki settled in fourth.

Whereshetoldmetogo ($9.80), racing in mid-pack early on, began gaining ground quickly along the inside around the turn as the half went in 44.42 seconds and Laki was steered to the far outside. Whereshetoldmetogo and jockey Sheldon Russell split Day the Music Died and Zenden approaching the stretch and took over the lead as Laki swept in to challenge on the outside. The two battled through the lane with Whereshetoldmetogo holding off Frank J. De Francis Dash (G3) winner Laki by a nose.

Both jockey Horacio Karamanos and trainer Damon Dilodovico lodged a claim of foul against Whereshetoldmetogo while fourth-place finisher Charge to Victory claimed against Laki, both incidents coming outside the quarter pole. Both were disallowed.

“We had a good trip. He came up the inside,” winning trainer Brittany Russell said. “I know we had a little issue there and I was hoping we didn't get DQ'd but it looked like it wasn't as big of a thing as maybe we originally thought. I felt like our horse was full of run and he's tough and he's game and he kept his head down, so I was confident.”

It was the second stakes win of the day for husband and wife, who teamed up with Hello Beautiful in the $100,000 Safely Kept. Whereshetoldmetogo was racing third time for Russell, having run fourth in the Sept. 5 Primonetta at Laurel and disqualified to second for lugging in mid-stretch of the Sept. 26 New Castle after hitting the wire 1 ½ lengths in front.

Air Token Flies Past Favored Francatelli to Win $100,000 Concern
Air Token, owned and trained by Jose Corrales, wore down favored stakes winner Francatelli through the stretch and edged clear to a 16-1 upset in the fourth running of the $100,000 Concern.

It was the first stakes win in his 12^th career start for Air Token ($35.60), who completed seven furlongs in 1:22.29 under jockey Horacio Karamanos for this second straight victory. Horse and rider teamed up to win an off-the-turf allowance Nov. 7 at Laurel.

“I think this horse can go longer but Mr. Corrales made the decision to run seven-eighths. We expected him to run good because the horse is really improving a lot,” Karamanos said. “I know him. I rode him one race before, one mile, and he won in good time. I thought he was going to give me a nice kick. Sometimes he flattens out but today he didn't and he won nice.”

Francatelli, a turf stakes winner in September bet down to 1-2 off a third-level optional claiming allowance last out Oct. 30 at Laurel, set fractions of 22.73 and 45.28 seconds for a half-mile under moderate pressure from Carey Times and stakes-placed Johnny Ritt. Karamanos settled Air Token in mid-pack along the rail until tipping out around the turn, setting their sights on the leader and steadily gained ground to win by a neck.

“We just sat behind the speed. Mr. Corrales told me to not rush him,” Karamanos said. “He broke out of the gate really nice. I saw [Francatelli] was the favorite. At the top of the stretch he was moving outside clear and nicely. He gave me a really nice kick and fought to the wire. He ran big today. I was confident all the way around.”

Golden Candy ran third, two lengths behind Francatelli, with 40-1 long shot Informative another 3 ¼ lengths back in fourth. Multiple stakes winner Lebda was scratched.

The post Harpers First Ride, Whereshetoldmetogo, Air Token Take Laurel Fall Festival Of Racing Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Three Noses On Line: Laki Gets The Win In Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash

Giving Damon Dilodovico his first victory in a graded stakes in his 30th year training, Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki won a three-way photo finish with Eastern Bay and Nitrous in Saturday's Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Pimlico in Baltimore, Md.

Under jockey Horacio Karamanos, Laki – a 7-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Cuba out of Truthful Dutch, by Swear by Dixie – was clocked six furlongs in 1:10.36 and paid $12.60 for the win in his first graded triumph. Eastern Bay finished second, beaten a nose and another nose ahead of Nitrous, with pacesetter Krsto Skye fourth in the field of six older runners.

Laki earned $120,000 from the De Francis Dash's $200,000 purse, winning for the 10th time in a 28-race career.

Krsto Skye and Julian Pimentel showed the way early, going the opening quarter mile in :22.96 and the half in :45.03. Landeskog, the 9-10 favorite under Florent Geroux, was his closest pursuer, with Laki racing in traffic, having to check back into fifth, well ahead of Eastern Bay, who trailed the field under Angel Cruz.

Nitrous and Paco Lopez made a three-wide move on the turn, with Laki just to his outside, and those two took aim on the leader.

Krsto Skye retained a 1 1/2-length lead into mid-stretch, with five furlongs clocked in :57.05, but Laki and Nitrous were bearing down. Laki put his nose in front, with Nitrous fighting back as the wire approached, just as Eastern Bay came flying on the far outside. The three hit the wire together, with Kristo Skye 1 1/4 lengths behind that trio back in fourth.

“It was unbelievably exciting,” said Dilodovico, who won the De Francis in 2013 when it was not graded. “Everyone was hollering like it was a full house, like a May Preakness. It means the world to me.

“The owner gives him a lot of time. When we want to give him time, the owner [Hillside Equestrian Meadows] takes him home, takes good care of him and sends him back to us in good shape.”

“Unbelievable. This is the stable horse. I'm so happy for everybody,” said Karamanos. “Laki, I really love this horse. I really love the trainer, the family. Everybody works together. I'm so happy to win for them because they support me all year round, winning many races. I'm so happy, especially for Damon. He's a good guy and a good trainer.

“It was an amazing finish. My horse broke good out of the gate, the speed went fast. He didn't want to go, but when I whipped him a couple of times he started responding in the middle of the turn. He was a little shy on the inside and I made the decision to go wide a little bit. It was a beautiful race. He fired today.”

Angel Cruz, aboard Eastern Bay, said: “He came with a big run and almost caught the winner. I thought I may have got up at the end, but that's horse racing.”

The 29th running of the De Francis for 3-year-olds and up was part of an all-stakes Preakness Day program featuring the 145th renewal of the $1 million Preakness (G1), contested this year as the final jewel in a refashioned Triple Crown, and the 96th edition of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), one of the country's premiere events for 3-year-old fillies.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, and not run in 2008 or 2010, the De Francis' illustrious roster of past winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96).

This year marked only the third time the De Francis has been run at Pimlico, where it debuted in 1990 and returned in 2004. Laki had been winless in his only two tries over the surface, respectively running fifth and sixth in the 2017 and 2018 Maryland Sprint (G3) on the Preakness undercard. He finished second in the 2018 De Francis Dash at Laurel.

The post Three Noses On Line: Laki Gets The Win In Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fearsome Foursome: Top Maryland Jockeys Take Their Shots In 145th Preakness Stakes

A fearsome foursome of Maryland's top jockeys, who have combined to win 30 individual meet titles and seven of the state's last nine overall riding championships, are lined up to strut their stuff on the biggest stage of all.

Trevor McCarthy, Jevian Toledo, Sheldon Russell and Horacio Karamanos have all secured mounts in the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) Saturday, Oct. 3, being presented this year as the final jewel in a refashioned Triple Crown and the first Triple Crown race to serve as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

The $1 million Preakness is among a spectacular weekend Oct. 1-3 featuring 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.35 million in purses including the 96th renewal of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and 50th edition of the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3), each contested this year on the Preakness undercard.

“We've got a good shot to win, the local riders,” Karamanos said. “There's four of us. We have a good group. There are a lot of good riders in Maryland. It's good competition.”

Karamanos is the winningest rider among the group with 2,266 victories since arriving in the U.S. in 2000 from his native Argentina, where he won more than 1,500 races. He has the assignment on John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic.

The veteran Karamanos has won six meet titles in Maryland including three at Pimlico (2003, 2010, 2017) as well as the Laurel Park summer stand that ended Sept. 19. He is the only one of the four local riders to be making his Triple Crown race debut.

“This is my opportunity now. I feel really good, man,” Karamanos said. “This is my home, Maryland.”

Karamanos landed full-time in Maryland in 2002 and tied a Laurel Park record with seven winners on a single card that October. The winner of multiple riding titles at Colonial Downs in neighboring Virginia who has ex-rider Frank Douglas as his agent, he won the $100,000 Twixt Sept. 5 aboard Wicked Awesome. His mounts have earned more than $60 million in career purses.

In Ny Traffic, Karamanos will climb aboard a horse that raced close to the pace in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Sept. 5 before tiring to eighth behind Authentic, exiting the race with a cut on his left front ankle. Beaten a nose by Authentic in the Haskell (G1) July 18, Ny Traffic also finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Matt Winn (G3) this year.

“This is a nice horse. I watched his last two races. He ran good when he finished second at Monmouth,” Karamanos, 47, said. “In Kentucky the horse broke out a little bit and then sit second and third. He ran evenly to the wire, but the race was so fast. He's a good-trying horse. You never know. I think we have a good shot. He's a nice-looking horse, too.”

McCarthy, 26, will be aboard William H. Lawrence's Liveyourbeastlife, the Jim Dandy (G2) runner-up Sept. 5 at Saratoga for trainer Jorge Abreu. The Delaware native and Laurel resident will become the sixth different rider in nine starts on the sophomore son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper.

The Preakness will be the first Triple Crown race for Liveyourbeastlife and second for McCarthy, who finished eighth behind 2015 Triple Crown winner with Bodhisattva on his 21st birthday. This year's Preakness comes four weeks after Authentic upset favored Tiz the Law in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Sept. 5.

“We have some really good horses, some fresh horses, my horse being a fresh horse,” McCarthy said. “Authentic really put up a super race last time and he beat a really good horse, so he's going to be pretty tough. I'm just looking forward to getting the opportunity and doing my best, and getting the best trip possible.”

Represented by agent Scotty Silver, McCarthy was Maryland's leading rider in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019 and owns 12 individual meet titles including six of the last eight since moving his tack back to Maryland full-time in fall 2018 after a stint in New York. Overall, he owns 1,537 wins and nearly $51 million in purses earned with 18 graded-stakes victories.

“If my horse shows up and has a good trip, I'll be happy. I'll be happy with him, I'm pretty sure,” McCarthy said. “He should give me a great effort and I'm really looking forward to riding him. I think that last eighth [of a mile] is really going to suit him. I can't wait.”

Toledo, 24, will get a leg up on Grupo Seven C Stable's Jesus' Team, who became the first Preakness horse to arrive at Pimlico Sunday following the short van ride from trainer Jose D'Angelo's barn at Monmouth Park.

It will be Toledo's second time riding in a Triple Crown race, having finished ninth with Awesome Speed in the 2016 Preakness. Maryland's champion rider in 2015 and 2017, Toledo owns 1,027 career wins and more than $31 million in purse earnings since his first domestic victory at Pimlico in June 2013.

Toledo and Russell are both represented by agent Marty Leonard.

“I'm really excited. It's the second chance that I got to ride the Preakness and I feel really blessed,” Toledo said. “I have a lot of help lately in my career and my agent does a really, really good job. He hustled to have a mount in the Preakness and we got it done, so that's pretty cool.”

A native of Puerto Rico, where he won more than 30 races before coming to the U.S., Toledo has won five individual meet titles in Maryland and two career graded-stakes, the 2014 Charles Town Oaks (G3) with Miss Behaviour and 2018 Arlington Handicap (G3) with Divisidero.

Jesus' Team, named after the owner's son, will see familiar faces in the Preakness. He ran fourth to Authentic in the Haskell, second to Pneumatic in the Aug. 15 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park and third in the Jim Dandy, less than a length behind runner-up Liveyourbeastlife.

“I never got to meet the trainer,” Toledo said. “He liked the way I ride. I watched all the replays of the horse and he's a nice horse. He tries every time. He always hits the board in these tough races. With luck, anything can happen. Hopefully we can get it done.”

Russell, a seven-time meet champion in Maryland who led the state in wins in 2011, has been named to ride Calumet Farm's Excession, one of three horses pointing to the Preakness trained by two-time winner and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

“At first I was hearing little whispers about it, but as it progressed it started to get a bit louder,” Russell said. “I'm just trying to take it all in. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that Steve's giving me.”

Russell, 33, finished 10th on Concealed Identity in the 2011 Preakness. In his only other Triple Crown mount, he was 14th in the 2012 Derby aboard Done Talking, trained by Laurel Park-based Hamilton Smith.

“We've got a couple days before the race so I'll try to do the best homework I can on the horse. Then it's just trying to get a clean trip and try to get the horse to run for me on such a big day,” Russell said. “I'm excited. I'm over the moon. These are the opportunities you dream about.”

Eight shy of 1,400 career wins with more than $38 million in purses earned, Russell, like McCarthy, Toledo and Karamanos, is still in search of his first Grade 1 triumph. He has won four Grade 3 stakes, the last coming with Doctor J Dub in the 2016 Turf Monster at Parx.

Russell returned to riding on the Sept. 24 opening day program at Pimlico for the first time since breaking his wrist July 16 in a gate mishap at Delaware Park. He was leading Laurel's summer meet standings at the time of his injury.

“Coming off the layoff and everything, it was not something I was thinking about. I'm just very grateful,” he said. “I can understand it being one of the top three riders but from being on the shelf, I couldn't ask for a better thing. It makes me feel very good. It makes me feel very excited. I've got a couple days here up until that big one so we'll be ready next Saturday, put it that way.”

The post Fearsome Foursome: Top Maryland Jockeys Take Their Shots In 145th Preakness Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Karamanos Edges Toledo For Laurel Riding Title; Claudio Gonzalez Tops Among Trainers

Though he didn't wind up with a victory on the card, and had to hold off the late charge from a two-time state champion, jockey Horacio Karamanos left Saturday's closing day program a winner after clinching the summer meet riding title at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

Karamanos was blanked on four mounts Saturday, finishing second three times and ending the extended summer stand with a one-win edge over runner-up Jevian Toledo, 42-41, who won twice to close the gap. Karamanos earned his first title since sharing the 2017 Preakness Meet at Pimlico crown with Feargal Lynch and Kevin Gomez.

“I kept finishing second today, I couldn't win. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't have the luck. That's what happened to me today,” Karamanos said. “But it's the game. You need some luck. I think I had beautiful luck because I didn't get hurt or anything like that. To me, when I finish my races in one piece it's my best win, and I think for everybody it's the same.”

It is the sixth Maryland meet title for Karamanos, who won Pimlico outright in 2003 and 2010 as well as finishing first during Laurel's 2002 summer and 2007 fall stands. He ranked second in purse earnings with more than $1.35 million, trailing only Toledo's $1.52 million.

Toledo, Maryland's leading overall rider in 2015 and 2017, won twice Saturday aboard Created Special ($3.60) in Race 3 and Quiet Company ($14.80) in Race 7 to get within one, but was second with favored Beacon Hill in Race 8 and sixth on Shezalemondropkid in Race 9. Karamanos' lone win over closing weekend came in Friday's fourth race with Successful Zip ($6.60).

Seventeen-year-old apprentice Charlie Marquez, riding his last day in Maryland before moving his tack to New York with Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr. as his agent, captured the ninth race finale on Gennie Highway ($18) and finished third with 34 wins.

“I feel so good. We had a beautiful meet and good competition with my friends. We had good luck this year,” Karamanos said. “I had nice horses to ride and good people to ride for like [trainers] Damon [Dilodovico], Jose Corrales, Ferris Allen. I'm so happy because this is my home. This is the place I want to live forever.”

Represented by agent and ex-rider Frank Douglas, Karamanos had five wins in his first 50 mounts to open the summer meet once live racing resumed in Maryland May 30 following a 2 1/2-month pause amid the coronavirus pandemic. When the calendar turned to July, Karamanos caught fire with 11 multi-win days including hat tricks July 4, July 25 and Aug. 14.

A native of Argentina, where he won more than 1,500 races before coming to the U.S. in 2000, Karamanos landed full-time in Maryland in 2002 and tied a Laurel Park record with seven winners on a single card that October. He also owns multiple riding titles at Colonial Downs in neighboring Virginia.

Laurel was the site of Karamanos' 2,000th career victory aboard Liquid Aloha on Father's Day, June 17, 2017. Over Labor Day weekend, he won the $100,000 Twixt Sept. 5 for trainer Ferris Allen on Wicked Awesome.

“I want to say thank you to my agent, my wife who supported me and my beautiful daughter. All my friends help me, all my trainers support me,” Karamanos said. “I try hard all the time with my people so I feel really confident in myself to ride.”

Claudio Gonzalez finished as leading trainer with 27 wins to earn his 13th career title and 10th in the last 11 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand. Damon Dilodovico was second with 16, while Jamie Ness and Jose Corrales tied for third at 15.

One of Gonzalez's main clients, Robert D. Bone, wound up as the meet's leading owner with 14 wins, five ahead of Ness' Jagger Inc.

Live racing moves to Baltimore for the six-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico which runs Sept. 24-28 and Oct. 1-3. The final three days will feature a blockbuster lineup of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.35 million in purses highlighted by the 145^th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1) Oct. 3.

Molto Bella Spoils Stablemate Las Setas' Return in Saturday Feature
Molto Bella, a stakes winner last winter for Ian Wilkes racing first time for trainer Katy Voss, scooted through an opening on the inside in mid-stretch and drew off to a 2 3/4-length win in Saturday's featured fourth race at Laurel Park.

Owned by the partnership of Randall Bloch, Six Column Stables, Voss, Fred Merritt and John Seiler, Molto Bella ($7) ran six furlongs in 1:10.12 over a fast main track in the third-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up originally carded for the Fort Marcy turf course.

“I didn't have to do much with her. Ian sent her down ready,” Voss said. “We've had trouble finding a good spot for her this year. Ian thinks she likes the turf better but we're having a serious problem [having] turf [races] so I thought if she ran back to any of her dirt races from last year she'd be tough. I think the race set up for her.”

Angel at War and S W Briar Rose, both entered for main track only, were the main combatants through fractions of 23.02 and 46.10 seconds. Jockey Trevor McCarthy settled Molto Bella in fourth, bided his time and took advantage of an opening once straightened for home.

S W Briar Rose passed Angel at War late for second, with Molto Bella's stablemate Las Setas completing the order of finish. Named the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly after stakes wins in the Wide Country, Beyond the Wire and Weber City Miss last spring, Las Setas was racing for just the second time since the 2019 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), where she ran seventh, and first since a fifth in the six-furlong Politely Stakes last Dec. 7 at Laurel.

Voss had also considered the $100,000 Skipat on the Preakness (G1) undercard Oct. 3 for Las Setas, but wanted more time before the Maryland Million Distaff Oct. 24.

“She wasn't really ready, but I knew she needed a race and the Pimlico race is too tough and too close. This was my only option,” Voss said. “The goal is Maryland Million, and we wanted to get a race into her before that.”

Notes: Jockey Trevor McCarthy posted a hat trick Saturday with Hot Choice ($9.20) in Race 2, Molto Bella ($7) in Race 4 and Pretty Lori ($4) in Race 6. Favored at even money for her career bow and trained by Ham Smith, 2-year-old filly Pretty Lori won in 1:04.65 for 5 ½ furlongs in the off-the-turf maiden special weight … Trainer Dale Capuano swept the late double with Dixie Drawl ($3.80) in Race 8 and Gennie Highway ($18) in Race 9 … Mandatory payouts returned $1,537.40 in the $1 Super Hi-5, $1,101.65 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 for tickets with all five winners, and $633.94 in the 20-cent Pick 6 for tickets with all six winners.

The post Karamanos Edges Toledo For Laurel Riding Title; Claudio Gonzalez Tops Among Trainers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post