j.d. acosta | Horse Racing Free Tips

Air Token Wins Maryland Million Sprint At Laurel

Corrales Racing LLC's Air Token, claimed more than a year ago by trainer Jose Corrales for $10,000, led every step of the way to win Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint by 2 ¼ lengths over a late-closing Double Crown at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. Valued Notion was third.

Air Token, second earlier in the year in the Ben's Cat and fifth in the Bert Allen, raced second behind the longshot Valued Notion under jockey J.D. Acosta. After Valued Notion set fractions of :22.35 and :44.93, Air Token took over down the stretch before covering the six furlongs in 1:09.63. Corrales couldn't ask for a better trip.

“He doesn't like to be in front,” he said. “He likes to sit behind horses and make the right move.”

“He's always a good breaker from the gate,” Acosta said. “I didn't want to put him on the lead, because he likes to chase horses. I knew there was a lot of speed and you saw how fast they went. The only thing with this horse is, when he starts to make a move he likes to lay into horses. I got beat one time at Pimlico because he was lugging in. When he switched leads I had to make sure that I kept him away from other horses. As soon as we turned for home, he was really aggressive down the stretch.”

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Buff My Boots Takes Maryland Million Lassie At Laurel Park

Meeting for the second time in 20 days, Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots put away Sparkle Sprinkle following a spirited stretch duel and got to the wire ahead of fast-closing longshot My Thoughts for a front-running half-length victory in the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

Ridden by J.D. Acosta, Buff My Boots ($11.80) ran six furlongs in 1:11.14 over a fast main track to give trainer John Salzman Jr. his third career win in the Lassie following Limited View (2017) and Bluegrass Atatude (2011). Limited View would later be named Maryland-bred 2-year-old filly champion.

Buff My Boots and Sparkle Sprinkle, with Xavier Perez up for trainer Jerry Robb, tuned up for the Lassie in a six-furlong optional claimer Oct. 3 at Laurel, respectively running third and sixth after duking it out early.

“It worked out just like we talked about. We didn't want to kill ourselves with Sparkle Sprinkle, who's a nice horse. We did it last week but we did it with intentions of settling it there, instead of settling it here,” Salzman said. “It worked out. Xavier took his horse back a little and still got back to us at the head of the lane, and the best horse wins maybe. They both ran big and I'm just proud for Bird and her family. They do a lot and they're great owners.”

Buff My Boots, a Buffum filly that sold for $7,000 as a yearling last fall at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md., went in :22.59 for a quarter-mile pressed by Sweet Gracie with Moon Boss tracking on the outside and Sparkle Sprinkle tucked in along the rail. Perez tipped Sparkle Sprinkle out approaching the stretch and hooked up with Buff My Boots, who dug in again on the inside. My Thoughts came flying late to be second, edging Sparkle Sprinkle by a half-length. Luna Belle, the 5-2 favorite, ran fourth.

“John Robb and Xavier are tough. When they have a horse in the stake, you can't take them for granted because they're going to battle,” Acosta said. “The good thing was that I got a little bit of a breather the first quarter, even though I had a little bit of pressure I was able to get a little bit more at the end. She's tough in front. When she puts her head in front she's tough, and she likes to battle.”

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Gonzalez, Marquez Take Leading Trainer, Jockey Titles For Pimlico’s Preakness Meet

Pimlico Race Course brought the curtain down on its extended Preakness Meet Sunday with veteran Claudio Gonzalez and teenage sensation Charlie Marquez formally wrapping up their respective titles as leading trainer and jockey at the historic track in Baltimore, Md.

Gonzalez had one starter on Sunday's nine-race program, running fourth with Blue Sky Painter in Race 7, concluding the two-month stand with 40 wins, more than twice that of runners-up Mike Trombetta and Kieron Magee (19). It marked the second straight Preakness Meet title and 17th overall in Maryland for Gonzalez, a 44-year-old cancer survivor.

Among Gonzalez's meet highlights were stakes wins by Harpers First Ride in the July 31 Deputed Testamony and both Miss Leslie in the Weber City Miss and Completed Pass in the King T. Leatherbury April 24.

Originally scheduled to run May 6-31, the Preakness Meet began April 22 when racing was shifted from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., following an equine herpesvirus outbreak and later extended due to a complete reconstruction of Laurel's main track. Horses and personnel, relocated to various facilities including Pimlico and the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, returned to Laurel April 8.

“It feels good,” Gonzalez said. “It was a little different this year. The good thing for me is, I had my horses at Pimlico and I believe that's better for the horses when you're training where you run. It makes it easier for us and the help, everybody.

“They do the hard work. Everybody sees my name or another title, but if you don't have the right help, I don't make it,” he added. “It's the truth. I have to thank all my help.”

Gonzalez has won both full meets in Maryland this year following Laurel's winter stand, and was leading its spring meet standings when live racing was moved to Pimlico after just four days. He has been Maryland's overall leading trainer by wins each of the past four years.

“You feel pressure because people might think it's easy to win titles or win races. It's not that easy. It takes a lot of hard work,” Gonzalez said. “I have to thank all the owners for supporting me and giving me a chance. The owners I have are really good and they understand where we are with the horses and putting them in the right spots.”

Gonzalez said GMP Stables, Arnold Bennewith, and Cypress Creek Equine's Harpers First Ride, a five-time stakes winner for Gonzalez including the historic Grade 3 Pimlico Special in 2020 and back-to-back editions of the Deputed Testamony, is getting some time off. He is 2-for-2 since rejoining Gonzalez in May after being sold in January and making three starts for Midwest-based trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“I talked with the owners and we decided to give him a little rest. He has run a couple good races with us and he deserves and he needs a little break,” Gonzalez said. “It all depends on how he looks on the farm where he is. Maybe we give him a few months over there and then we'll see how he does.”

Marquez, 18, captured Pimlico's Sunday opener aboard Lost Uncle ($4.40) to give him 49 wins. J.D. Acosta finished second with 40 wins, two ahead of Jevian Toledo in third.

It is the first career riding title for Marquez, a native of Columbia, Md., whose 58 wins made him Maryland's leading apprentice of 2020. He had two or more wins on a single card 14 times at the Preakness Meet, during which he graduated to journeyman status May 30 and also posted multi-win days at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., and Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.

Marquez is represented by Tom Stift. Marty Leonard, who has Sheldon Russell and Toledo as clients, had been booking mounts for Marquez but agents are not allowed to carry three journeymen.

“It means a lot to me,” Marquez said. “We moved here in April and to hold the lead all the way until now is pretty hard to do, a lot of the riders say. I'm proud of myself, and I can't help but think of and thank everyone that helped me.

“My mom, who brought me up and got me familiar with everyone. My agents, that put me on live horses. Just everyone that gave me opportunities, really,” he added. “Everything goes to them. I'm just the passenger.”

Super C Racing finished as leading owner with nine wins, one more than Joseph Besecker and Robert D. Bone.

Highlighting the Preakness Meet was the 146th Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, returned to mid-May after being pushed back to October last year during an altered stakes schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic. It was won by Rombauer, giving trainer Mike McCarthy his first Triple Crown race victory.

Army Wife won the prestigious Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies, the traditional Preakness Eve feature. Other graded-stakes winners over Preakness weekend were Last Judgment in the Pimlico Special, Somelikeithotbrown in the Grade 2 Dinner Party, Red Ghost in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness, Spice is Nice in the Grade 3 Allaire du Pont, Mighty Mischief in the Grade 3 Chick Lang, Mean Mary in the Grade 3 Gallorette, and Special Reserve in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint.

Live racing in Maryland moves to Timonium for the State Fair Meet Aug. 27-29 and Sept. 3-6 before returning to Laurel Park for its calendar year-ending fall stand starting Thursday, Sept. 9.

Laurel's grandstand will be open Wednesdays through Sundays during the State Fair Meet. The entire main floor of the clubhouse will be open on Saturdays as well as the grandstand's Sports Book bar.

Doors will open at 11 a.m. at Laurel Saturday, Aug. 28 to accommodate a first-race post of 11:35 a.m. at Saratoga for its Travers Day program.

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Mucho Much The Best In Challedon At Pimlico

A nose kept from him becoming a first-time stakes winner in his previous start, but there would be no denying WSS Racing and 4G Racing's Mucho the honor against a salty field in Saturday's $100,000 Challedon at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 35th running of the six-furlong Challedon for 3-year-olds and up was the last of three $100,000 stakes on the final program of July, preceded by Hello Beautiful's victory in the Alma North and Harpers First Ride's triumph in the Deputed Testamony. All three races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Mucho ($7.20) took the lead at the top of the stretch and turned back late challenges from multiple stakes winners Laki, Lebda, and Whereshetoldmetogo for a one-length victory in 1:10.09 over a fast main track under jockey Reylu Gutierrez.

“I told Rey, this horse is only getting sharper. Don't take anything away from the break,” Midwest-based winning trainer John Ortiz said. “Honestly, this is Rey's victory. He did everything right on the horse. He made all the right strategical moves. When he broke sharp, he kind of asked a little bit and made the horse on the inside chase and push and go through, and all we needed was a target. We needed a little speed, and he got it.”

Jockey J.D. Acosta was forced to hustle Lebda from his rail post to get by the alert-breaking Mucho, and was in front after a quarter-mile in :22.96. Grade 3 winner Laki and 3-2 favorite Whereshetoldmetogo, who have combined to win 13 stakes, raced side-by-side in behind with 37-1 long shot Whiskey and You trailing the field.

Laki maintained the lead following a half in :45.83 with Mucho turning up the pressure and Laki and Whereshetoldmetogo poised to strike while in the clear on the outside. Mucho forged a short lead once straightened for home, dug in past the eighth pole, and had plenty left to keep his challengers at bay.

Lebda held second by a neck over Whereshetoldmetogo, with Laki another half-length back in fourth.

Second as a 2-year-old in the 2018 Grade 1 Hopeful for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Mucho came up just short of multiple stakes winner Bango in the seven-furlong Kelly's Landing June 25 at Churchill Downs. In his prior start, he finished ahead of both Laki and Lebda when fourth in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint May 15 at Pimlico on the undercard of the 146th Grade 1 Preakness Stakes.

“The horse broke delightful today. Johnny's so good at getting horses out of the gate, with his morning training and routine,” Gutierrez said. “Watching his last going seven-eighths, I said, 'If he breaks sharp like that again today cutting back to three-quarters, I'm going to keep him there and keep him engaged.' I was able to make Lebda use a lot of horse to get the lead and I just had the trip. From the half to the three-eighths [pole], I got a really great breather to finish.

“This group of horses will probably be facing each other multiple times this year. Every trainer in this field, they do an amazing job with their stables and they're highly competitive so I'm very proud of our horse,” he added. “He beat them in the Maryland Sprint a couple starts ago so I really was expecting the same type of performance with him putting himself forwardly placed. I loved every second of it.”

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Mucho is a 5-year-old son of Blame, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and champion older horse of 2010. Ortiz hinted Mucho could find himself at the year-end championships should his star continue to rise.

“This horse has only been improving. He's gained more weight and is getting sharper and stronger. That's all we needed,” he said. “There might be a couple more starts before we end up in Del Mar, you never know. You gotta dream big, right?”

Not run during Maryland's pandemic-shortened 2020 stakes season, the Challedon honors the Maryland-bred son of Challenger II that won 20 of 44 starts and $334,660 in purses from 1938 to 1942, was recognized as Horse of the Year in 1939 and 1940, and inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1977. Winner of the 1939 Preakness and 1939 and 1940 Pimlico Special, Challedon also sired 13 stakes winners before his death in 1958.

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