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‘He Surprises Me Every Day’: Maryland-Bred Harpers First Ride Headed To Pegasus World Cup

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, a four-time stakes winner in 2020 including the historic Pimlico Special (G3), is set to launch his 5-year-old season in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Saturday, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Based at Laurel Park with trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride was among the invitees to the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up, being held for the fifth consecutive year. Also on the list is another Maryland-bred, 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Knicks Go.

Harpers First Ride ended 2020 with back-to-back stakes victories at Laurel in the 1 1/16-mile Richard W. Small Nov. 28 and 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer Dec. 26.

“He came back really good after the last race, that's why we try to go to the Pegasus,” Gonzalez said. “It's a big race. It all depends. If he continues like how he's doing, we're going to go.”

The Pegasus will be the third time in graded-stakes company and first against Grade 1 competition for Harpers First Ride, who Gonzalez claimed for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs.

“The first time he ran over there he ran good, and he was a Maryland-bred. Why not bring him here?” Gonzalez said of the reason behind claiming the gelded son of Grade 1 winner Paynter. “What's he doing over there? So, we decide to claim the horse.”

Harpers First Ride won seven of 11 races in 2020 with two seconds, one third and $495,623 in purse earnings, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He won the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 5 at Laurel as a prep for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, where he dueled up front with favored Owendale to win by two lengths.

“He surprises me every day. Every day he goes better,” Gonzalez said. “He comes back from the races like nothing. He's easy to train. He's a classy horse. He does everything right.”

Gonzalez said the plans call for Harpers First Ride to breeze at Gulfstream and have regular rider Angel Cruz aboard for the Pegasus. Cruz has been up for each of Harpers First Ride's last five wins and all four stakes.

“He knows the horse really good. And for me it's better that he rides, and I think that he will,” Gonzalez said. “The plan is to go 10 days before the race to give him a breeze over there and let him get to know the racetrack and get used to the weather change. Here it's cold and over there it's going to be hot. That's why we plan that. It gives him a couple of days to adjust.”

Claimed by Gonzalez for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs, MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride won for the seventh time in 11 starts in 2020, four of those wins coming in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer at Laurel and Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course.

A gelded 4-year-old son of Grade 1 winner Paynter, Harpers First Ride has earned $495,623 this year, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He will figure in the conversation for Maryland-bred Horse of the Year along with Knicks Go, who went three-for-three in the Midwest this year topped by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

“The horse surprises me every race he runs. Every race he runs better and better. He walked today and he walked like he knows he won. It's really good when you see that,” Gonzalez said. “He won four stakes, he won the Pimlico Special, and all the stakes he won he won good. It's the first time I've had a horse like that. With Harpers, every day is special. From the day we claimed him, he started doing good.”

Among the early 2021 stakes for 4-year-olds and up going a route of ground at Laurel are the $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-bred/sired horses at one mile Jan. 16, the $100,000 John B. Campbell at about 1 1/16 miles Feb. 13 and $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at 1 1/8 miles March 13. Gonzalez said the connections will keep all their options open for the soon-to-be 5-year-old.

“He proved that he won his races easy and maybe he has to take the next step and race with the big guys and see how he does,” he said.

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Stronach 5: Three Tracks, Three On The Turf In Friday’s Wager

Friday's Stronach 5 will serve up an intriguing, competitive sequence of races from Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park with three races on the turf and an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

The action begins at 3:55 ET with Laurel's eighth race and concludes a little more than an hour later with Gulfstream's 10th race, a mile event on the turf for 3-year-old maidens with a $50,000 price.

Laurel's eighth race, a $42,000 optional allowance claimer for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1 /16 miles, has a 5-2 morning-line favorite in Journeytothemoon, a son of Tourist who won first time out for trainer Mike Trombetta at six furlongs Nov. 21 at Laurel. Betcha by Golly comes into the race off a 2 ½ month layoff for trainer Graham Motion after finishing off-the-board in an allowance race at Keeneland. Leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez saddles Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc.'s Tuff But Fair.

After Laurel's ninth race, a claiming event for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs, the Stronach 5 heads to California and Santa Anita Park for the third leg of the sequence and Santa's Anita's third race, a maiden special weight event at a mile on the turf for California breds. Reddam Racing LLC's That Corey, a son of Square Eddie, is the 5-2 choice off a second-place finish at five furlongs on the turf at Del Mar. Trainer Doug O'Neill saddles Hail Freedom, a son of Box Score who finished fourth in his debut at Santa Anita Dec. 27 on the main track.

The last two legs of the sequence will be run at Gulfstream over the turf.

Gulfstream's ninth race, the fourth leg of the sequence, has a field of eight 4-year-old and up claimers going five furlongs. Newton Anner Stud Farm's Star Weaver is the 5-2 choice off a second-place finish under the same conditions Dec. 9. Our Destiny makes his first start at Gulfstream after spending last year competing mostly in state-bred races in New York.

The Stronach 5 concludes with Gulfstream's 10th race, a mile event on the turf for $50,000 maiden claimers. The wide-open affair has a tepid 7-2 choice in first-time starter Six Minus from the barn of leading trainer Todd Pletcher. Supplication, a son of Point of Entry, makes his first start on the turf for trainer Mark Casse while trainer Barclay Tagg sends out Tiz Tact Toe, fifth in a maiden special weight race at a mile at Gulfstream Dec. 5.

Friday's races and sequence

· Leg One – Laurel Park 8th Race: (8 entries, 1 1/16 mile) 3:55 ET, 12:55 PT

· Leg Two –Laurel Park 9th Race: (10 entries, 7 furlongs) 4:25 ET, 1:25 PT

· Leg Three –Santa Anita 3rd Race: (10 entries, 1 mile turf) 4:32 ET, 1:32 PT

· Leg Four –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: (10 entries, 5 furlongs turf) 4:42 ET, 1:42 PT

· Leg Five –Gulfstream West 10th Race: (12 entries, 1 mile turf) 5:13 ET, 2:15 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Red-Hot Apprentice Crispin Rides Four Winners On Laurel’s Sunday Card

Five-pound apprentice jockey Alexander Crispin continued his sizzling start to the new year by riding four winners on Sunday's nine-race program at Laurel Park in Maryland.

Crispin, 22, began his big day with back-to-back victories aboard Cinconola ($18.20) in Race 2 and favored Xmasinthecity ($3.40) in Race 3, and followed up with wins on McElmore Avenue ($3) in Race 6 and Zabracadabra ($7) in Race 8.

A native of Puerto Rico, Cripsin has eight wins over the first three days of Laurel's 2021 winter meet that began New Year's Day, including a riding triple Saturday.

“I feel pretty good on how things are going. All the hard work is paying off,” Crispin said. “I really appreciate all the trainers and owners giving me the opportunity. So far so good. Everything's been good. I appreciate everything that's going on today and the past few days.”

Expected to be up for voting as North America's leading apprentice jockey when the Eclipse Award finalists are announced Jan. 16, Crispin graduated from Puerto Rico's famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school in December 2019 and made his pro debut last Jan. 1 at Hipodromo Camarero.

After coming to the U.S. late last winter, Cripsin was fifth in his mainland debut aboard Time Marches On March 7, 2020, at Turfway Park. He continued to ride in the Midwest, picking up his first win March 12, 2020, on Thorpe d'Oro at Turfway, until moving his tack to Delaware Park for the summer.

Crispin finished the Delaware meet as its leading apprentice rider, ranking second overall with 58 wins and fourth with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings. He arrived in Maryland in late October, two weeks into Laurel Park's fall meet, and wound up ranking first among bug boys and third overall with 29 wins, banking $725,920 in purses earned.

“It started out a little bit tough but I maintained a positive mind and kept working hard,” Cripsin said. “I came every day to work and kept persevering and believing in myself.”

Crispin's wins have come for trainers Gary Capuano, Mary Eppler, Mike Trombetta, Anthony Pecoraro, Kieron Magee, Charlie Frock and Maryland's four-time defending champion Claudio Gonzalez. In addition to his wins, he has one second and six thirds in 22 mounts, finishing in the top three at 68 percent clip.

According to Equibase statistics, Crispin finished 2020 with 103 wins and $2,194,030 in purse earnings from 539 mounts. Maryland-based riders have won 11 of 46 Eclipse Awards as leading apprentice, most recently Weston Hamilton in 2018.

“Everyone helps me out. They come to me and tell me if I need something or maybe get better at doing a certain thing I was doing,” Crispin said. “Everybody likes seeing me doing good. They give me good advice. They are always supporting me so appreciate all they do for me. It's been big for my year. It means a lot to me.”

Notes: Jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Dale Capuano teamed up to bookend Sunday's program by winning Race 1 with Thunderturtle ($8.20) and Race 9 with Hello Gracie ($6.80) … The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was solved Sunday for a jackpot payout of $4,139.20 … Live racing returns Friday, Jan. 8 with a nine-race card starting at 12:25 p.m.

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Four-Win Day for Crispin at Laurel

Five-pound apprentice jockey Alexander Crispin followed up a triple-win day at Laurel Saturday with a four-win day at the Maryland track Sunday. The 22-year-old native of Puerto Rico now has eight wins over the first three days of Laurel’s 2021 winter meet.

“I feel pretty good on how things are going. All the hard work is paying off,” Crispin said. “I really appreciate all the trainers and owners giving me the opportunity. So far so good. Everything’s been good. I appreciate everything that’s going on today and the past few days.”

Crispin opened his Sunday scoring spree with wins aboard Cinconola (Cinco Charlie) in the second race and Xmasinthecity (City Zip) in the third race. He followed up with wins on McElmore Avenue (El Padrino) in the sixth race and Zabracadabra (Harbor the Gold) in the eighth.

Crispin graduated from Puerto Rico’s famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school in December 2019 and made his pro debut last Jan. 1 at Hipodromo Camarero. He moved his tack to the U.S. mainland last spring and won his first race in the Midwest at Turfway Mar. 12. He was the leading apprentice–and second overall–rider at Delaware Park over the summer and has been riding in Maryland since October.

“It started out a little bit tough, but I maintained a positive mind and kept working hard,” Crispin said. “I came every day to work and kept persevering and believing in myself.”

The post Four-Win Day for Crispin at Laurel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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