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Cordmaker Clinches MATCH Title With Robert T. Manfuso Triumph

In a fitting end to his 6-year-old season, Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker paid tribute to his breeder by earning his 12^th career victory and eighth against stakes company in Sunday's $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The inaugural Manfuso for 3-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles and the return of the 1 1/8-mile Carousel for fillies and mares 3 and up, which carried Grade 3 status from 1988 through 1997 and was last run in 2002 at Laurel, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Cordmaker ($4.40) was bred in Maryland by Manfuso and his life partner, Laurel-based trainer Katy Voss, who presented the winner's trophy to the connections, including Hillwood's Ellen Charles, trainer Rodney Jenkins and regular rider Victor Carrasco.

A longtime owner and breeder and former owner of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course who was instrumental in revitalizing Maryland racing, Manfuso passed away in March 2020.

“We've all been talking about it for about a week. I'm glad we were able to get it done,” Jenkins said. “It was nice. He's such a good horse.”

A gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Cordmaker won for the third time in four starts – all in stakes – and clinched the older male long dirt division and overall MATCH Series titles.

Breaking from the rail as the 6-5 favorite in a field that scratched down to six, Cordmaker settled in fourth as multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining took the lead and held it through a quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds and a half in 47.38 pressed by Workin On a Dream, who finished second to Cordmaker in the Richard W. Small Nov. 27 at Laurel.

Carrasco tipped Cordmaker out leaving the far turn and set his sights on 3-2 second choice Shackqueenking, who had inherited the lead after Alwaysmining began to fade. Cordmaker straightened out, powered past Shackqueenking and opened up for a 3 ½-length victory. Workin On a Dream edged Shackqueenking by a half-length for second, with Plot the Dots a nose better than McElmore Avenue in fourth.

“Naturally he drew the one hole of all days, but he figured it out,” Jenkins said. “He got around that turn and saved some ground there, and then when they straightened out and Victor asked him, I think he won as easy as he's won any race in his life.”

Cordmaker has finished third or better 23 times in 34 career starts including 12 wins and $794,640 in purse earnings. He is 17-for-26 in the money at Laurel, his home track, with other stakes wins in the 2018 Jennings, 2019 Polynesian, and 2019 and 2021 Harrison Johnson Memorial and last month's Small. He also won the Aug. 23 Victory Gallop at Colonial Downs and 2019 DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park, and was third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3).

Miss Leslie wins her third consecutive race in the Carousel for trainer Claudio Gonzalez

Miss Leslie Runs Win Streak to Three in $100,000 Carousel
BB Horses' Miss Leslie extended her win streak to three races including back-to-back stakes after sweeping to the lead once straightened for home and sprinting clear through the stretch to a 3 ¾-length triumph in the $100,000 Carousel.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Miss Leslie ($5) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.21 over a fast main track as the 3-2 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares. Fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Kiss the Girl, who edged Belle of the North by a neck for third.

Scatrattleandroll, breaking from one spot inside Miss Leslie who drew the far outside, was sent out of the gate by jockey Jaime Rodriguez and in front through fractions of 24.58 and 49.11 seconds, pressed by Artful Splatter. Smooth With a Kick, racing for the first time since Jan. 17, led the second flight with Kiss the Girl.

Cruz gave Miss Leslie her cue leaving the backstretch and the 3-year-old daughter of Paynter began to roll while in the clear on the outside, reeling in Artful Splatter at the top of the stretch and opening up after a mile in 1:39.52.

“I felt really comfortable because we worked her last week and she worked really good,” Cruz said. “Today, every horse was coming from off the pace and my filly comes from off of it. It played out really well.”

Miss Leslie won the Anne Arundel County to cap her 2-year-old campaign and the April 24 Weber City Miss in her third start at 3. She went winless in five starts, including graded attempts in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Charles Town Oaks (G3), before ending the slide with a last-to-first optional claiming triumph Oct. 21 at Delaware Park.

In her prior start, Miss Leslie rallied from next-to-last to capture the Nov. 13 Thirty Eight Go Go going about 1 1/16 miles at Laurel. Each of the wins during her streak have come over older horses and with Cruz aboard.

“She's a good filly. She's nice to ride. We've had to work hard with her but she does everything right,” Cruz said. “A lot of times I just work her because she's really nervous in the morning. Claudio lets me work her and it's been playing out really good. She works good and she runs good.”

Notes: Laurel will host a special Monday program of nine races Dec. 27 featuring carryovers of $10,645.14 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $2,170.08 in the $1 Super Hi-5. Tickets with five of six winners in Sunday's Rainbow 6 each returned $1,419.50.

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Threes Over Deuces, Kaylasaurus Score MATCH Victories At Laurel

Pocket 3's Racing's Threes Over Deuces, narrowly beaten in his previous two starts, came out on the winning end of another close finish by surging between horses approaching the wire and getting his head down first to capture Sunday's $100,000 Dave's Friend at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 18^th running of the Dave's Friend for 3-year-olds and up and 11^th renewal of the Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and up, both sprinting six furlongs, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Both races served as the finale in their respective divisions for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Threes Over Deuces ($26.60) earned his second career stakes win and first since being promoted to victory over Whereshetoldmetogo in last fall's New Castle at Delaware Park. The 6-year-old Flat Out gelding, second in the 2020 General George (G3) at Laurel, had gone winless through seven 2021 starts, beaten a neck while third to Whereshetoldmetogo in a New Castle rematch and second by head to Battle Station in a Nov. 14 optional claimer at Laurel.

“It was nice to turn the tables once on Whereshetoldmetogo. Hopefully it's the start of The Deuce getting back to [being] The Deuce,” Jon Madden, principal owner Pocket 3's Racing, said. “He's always fighting. He started the year slow and then started to get right. The last two races we sent him but with the new track we held him back, and it worked out.”

Threes Over Deuces settled off a 22.94-second opening quarter mile run by Newbomb, who maintained a short advantage after a half in 46.26 as a field that included multiple stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo, Maryland Million Sprint winners Air Token and Karan's Notion and 14-time career winner Penguin Power began to close in.

Jockey Victor Rosales swung Threes Over Deuces out wide leaving the far turn and set him down for a drive to the wire, where they were able to edge past a stubborn Penguin Power and hold off a late bid on the far outside from Nov. 26 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial runner-up Youngest of Five, who wound up a nose behind Penguin Power. It was a length back to Air Token in fourth, with 3-2 favorite Whereshetoldmetogo checking in fifth. Grade 3 winner Laki was scratched.

The winning time was 1:10.94 over a fast main track.

“It was the plan to take him back today,” Rosales said. “In the early races the speed wasn't holding on, so we tried to take him from behind this time.”

Kaylasaurus made a last-to-first rally to win the Willa On the Move

Late Surge Powers Kaylasaurus in $100,000 Willa On the Move
Bush Racing Stable and Liberty House Racing's Kaylasaurus, trailing by as many as nine lengths at one point, completed a last-to-first move with an eye-catching rally through the stretch to surge past Princess Kokachin and win the $100,000 Willa On the Move.

It was the first career stakes win for Kaylasaurus ($13), a 5-year-old daughter of multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Munnings racing first time off the claim for Penn National-based trainer Tim Kreiser. The winning time was 1:11.74 over a fast main track.

“She always makes that big move down the stretch, and Maryland's known for the quarter pole home is where you make your money,” Kreiser said, “so, we thought this would be the best spot to run her.”

Princess Kokachin, who extended her win streak to five with a front-running triumph over eight-time stakes winner Hello Beautiful in the Nov. 26 Politely at Laurel, broke running and held the advantage again over Hello Beautiful after going the opening quarter-mile in 22.30 seconds and the half in 45.77.

Jockey Xavier Perez and Princess Kokachin were still going easy on the turn as Hello Beautiful, favored at 4-5, was passed to her inside by 25-1 long shot Paisley Singing. Princess Kokachin was comfortably in front and going strong in mid-stretch but was no match for the devastating late run on the far outside from Kaylasaurus.

“We saw the pace was there,” Kreiser said. “[Hello Beautiful] was struggling trying to keep up with [Princess Kokachin], so I was feeling good about the three-eighths pole.”

Kaylasaurus won by 2 ¼ lengths over Princess Kokachin, with Paisley Singing another two lengths back in third. Dontletsweetfoolya and Hello Beautiful completed the order of finish. The winner was claimed for $25,000 out of a 3 ¼-length win going six furlongs Nov. 30 at Penn National and was making her third career stakes try. She finished 10^th in the 2018 Gin Talking at Laurel and fourth in the Aug. 23 Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial at Parx.

“The race was good for my filly,” winning jockey Horacio Karamanos said. “The speed was going and she's got a beautiful finish, so I just sit in behind. They were going fast and I tried to be close but not rush her and when she started to move in the middle of the turn, I go little wide to look for the best spot and she give me a beautiful kick at the end. The last sixteenth of a mile, she was just galloping.”

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Shake Em Loose, With 59-1 Upset, Favored Buy The Best Take Pair Of Laurel Juvenile Stakes

JR Sanchez Racing Stable's Shake Em Loose, making his seventh career start and the first for new connections, paid immediate and thrilling dividends by collaring Last Romance approaching the wire and pulling away to a 59-1 upset in Sunday's $100,000 Heft at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 20^th running of the Heft for 2-year-olds and 14^th renewal of the Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Ridden by Yomar Ortiz for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, Shake Em Loose ($120.80) completed the distance in 1:25.69 over a fast main track to beat Last Romance by three-quarters of a length. It was 1 ¼ lengths back to 3-5 favorite Life Is Great in third, followed by Run to Daylight, Uncle Buddy, Dontcrossfuzzy and Amidships.

“I was feeling really good about him, that's why I ran him in there,” Sanchez-Salomon said. “I was going to run him for [$25,000] but I couldn't by the way he was training, and God helped us.”

Claimed for $16,000 out of a maiden victory Nov. 19 at Laurel and racing as a new gelding, Shake Em Loose found himself trailing the field but gaining momentum as Uncle Buddy led through a quarter-mile in 23 seconds and a half in 46.85 chased by Dontcrossfuzzy and Life Is Great down inside. Run to Daylight overtook Uncle Buddy on the turn and was passed by Last Romance as they straightened for home, as Shake Em Loose came rolling on the far outside. Shake Em Loose reeled in Last Romance and surged past for his second straight win.

“I thought he was going to be a little closer. He broke a little bad coming out of the gate but the jockey put him right in the race. Thank God he came to the wire first,” Sanchez-Salomon said. “I was hoping to improve 20 percent from what he did last time, and he did.”

Shake Em Loose, by Shakin It Up, had one win, one second and one third through six starts dating back to Aug. 7 at historic Pimlico Race Course. He notched a popular 3 ¾-length score in mid-November over Heartness, who came back to win a Parx maiden claimer by 10 ½ lengths Dec. 22.

“I was following this horse for a while,” Sanchez-Salomon said. “Thank God I got him.”

Buy the Best winning the Gin Talking Stakes

Buy the Best Extends Streak to Four in $100,000 Gin Talking
Hope Jones' Buy the Best collared pacesetter Beneath the Stars in mid-stretch and edged past to extend her win streak to four races with a popular two-length victory in the $100,000 Gin Talking.

Buy the Best ($2.20), a bay daughter of Tapiture ridden by Jaime Rodriguez and trained by Cathal Lynch, ran seven furlongs in 1:26.79 over a fast main track. Beneath the Stars, making her stakes debut off back-to-back wins, was 6 ½ lengths clear of Moody Woman in third.

Beneath the Stars broke sharply from the rail and set a comfortable pace of 23.11 seconds for a quarter mile while Buy the Best raced in second between Sommer Velvet to her inside and My Thoughts. Buy the Best had moved clearly into second after a half in 46.77, closed the gap on the turn and steadily gained ground on the leader through the stretch before taking over.

Buy the Best, a $70,000 yearling purchase last fall, ran second in debut May 23 at historic Pimlico Race Course then made her next three starts at Delaware Park, graduating in a Sept. 29 maiden special weight and beating winners Oct. 28. She entered the Gin Talking off a 3 ¼-length triumph in the six-furlong Smart Halo Nov. 13 at Laurel over Luna Belle, who came back to win the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Dec. 18.

The post Shake Em Loose, With 59-1 Upset, Favored Buy The Best Take Pair Of Laurel Juvenile Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After Challenging Year, Vargas Looks to Bounce Back in 2022

Last week, Puerto Rican jockey Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. won one of the biggest races of his young career aboard Geno (Big Brown) in the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way S. at Aqueduct. The victory, more than happiness and a nice check, brought relief and a breath of fresh air going into a new year after a tough 2021.

“I was a little down because I was working hard, I'm riding almost every day and you want to see the results and nothing was happening,” said Vargas during a recent holiday trip to Puerto Rico to catch up with his family. “Thank God this week was good. I won every day, which is one of my purposes, to win at least one each day. On top of that, we won the stakes, which helps us not only with money, but for people to see us and know that we can do it and that we are here because we have the skills.”

After two straight successful seasons in 2018 and 2019, where he won more than 100 races each year and obtained his first riding title at Laurel's Park Winter Meet, Vargas's pace was slowed down by the pandemic in 2020. He came back hungrier than ever in 2021, but his progress was once again short-lived as he hit the ground hard Mar. 20 when his mount fell during a race at Monmouth Park. Vargas fractured his lumbar and was sidelined for another four months.

“I'm not going to lie and it isn't a secret that it was hard,” Vargas said of his 2021 mid-year crisis. “You're coming from a pandemic that kept you from what you love for three to four months. You try to get back on track, get a little steam, and fall again, another three to four months out.”

Represented by Jimmy Riccio, Vargas has opted to stay on the NYRA circuit for the last three years even with the steep competition of one of the most elite jockeys colonies in the nation. It's a calculated risk for the 26-year-old, who says he always wants to push himself against the best.

“New York is the Big Leagues, it's where everybody wants to prove themselves,” Vargas said. “You have to really work and know if you belong. I like the challenge and that's what moves me. I've accepted the challenge and I always work hard and keep afloat.”

Vargas, who started riding in 2013, has been an underdog for his whole career. People doubted he could become a professional jockey and he did. People doubted he could ride in the United States and he shone on the Pennsylvania circuit. People doubted he could win a meet and he was a champion in Maryland in 2018. Now, the always smiling Vargas wants to do the same in New York and he just needs a little bit of luck and trust.

“I just want to have a healthy year,” Vargas said about his expectations for 2022. “For it to be a year where I can ride and show what I know how to do. It's always challenging. In the United States at this moment there are so many jockeys that winning races is complicated. I would like to keep over 100 wins every year.”

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