Maryland Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Likely Eclipse Award Finalist Crispin Achieves Second Consecutive Four-Win Day At Laurel Park

Five-pound apprentice Alexander Crispin, expected to be among the Eclipse Award finalists when they are announced later this month, registered his second consecutive four-win day Friday at Laurel Park.

The 22-year-old native of Puerto Rico, who went four-for-eight during Laurel's last live program Jan. 3, won four of the last five races Friday. Crispin began his run with Michel Scheffres' Maryland-bred gelding Sue Loves Barbados ($8.80) in Race 8, a waiver maiden claimer for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 ½ furlongs.

Without a mount in Race 6, Crispin ended the day by sweeping the final three races aboard Solea ($10.60) for owner-trainer Ed Merryman; Marcial Cornejo's Wonderwall ($9), trained by Maryland's four-time defending champion Claudio Gonzalez; and Lacey Gaudet owned-and-trained Candygramformongo ($9).

“Today was really good. I started my [day] like always, getting here early so I know what exactly what I'm going to do,” Crispin said. “I had a good feeling today with all my horses. I'm always positive with all the horses ride. I had that feeling that today was going to be a good day.”

Crispin has put together three consecutive multi-win days in 2021, winning once on the New Year's Day program and registering a riding triple Jan. 2. He has 12 wins, two seconds and six thirds from 28 mounts this year with purse earnings of more than $250,000.

According to Equibase statistics, Crispin leads all North American jockeys in wins to start 2021, and ranks ninth in purses earned. He finished 2020 with 103 wins and $2,194,030 in purse earnings from 539 mounts.

“I'm going out on the track and have been working hard and dedicated, and to give it all on the track and see the results feels good,” Crispin said. “Everything's going good, thankfully.”

Finalists for the 50^th annual Eclipse Awards will be announced Saturday, Jan. 16. The winners in 17 human and equine categories will be announced in a virtual ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28 and live streamed on several outlets.

Maryland-based riders have captured 11 of the 46 Eclipse Awards as champion apprentice, the most recent being Weston Hamilton in 2018. Other winners are Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001), Ryan Fogelsonger (2002) and Victor Carrasco (2013). Hamilton and Carrasco continue to be based in Maryland.

Notes: There will be carryovers of $489.19 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 1) and $411.56 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) for Saturday's nine-race program. Tickets with five of six winners in Friday's Rainbow 6 each returned $39.20 … First-race post time is 12:25 p.m.

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Vitali Resurfaces at Turf Paradise

Trainer Marcus Vitali started a horse Monday at Turf Paradise, finishing third in the Hank Mills Sr. S.s with Be Gone Daddy (Scat Daddy) in what was his first start since July 21, 2019.

Vitali’s career has been marked by numerous drug violations, suspensions and bans. His career stalled in 2019 when, in mid-July, he was suspended for 365 days by the Delaware Racing Commission for “interfering with and impeding an investigation being performed by the DTRC investigator along with Delaware Park Security staff.” Delaware racing officials alleged that Vitali removed an item from a refrigerator in a dorm room during a search and fled. The item was never recovered.

In 2016, Vitali relinquished his Florida trainer’s license to avoid being penalized for seven medication violations between October 2015 and January 2016. Vitali and Florida regulators eventually agreed on a 120-day suspension for the trainer. He made only 29 starts in 2017, but rebuilt his stable and made 334 starts and won 49 races in 2018, the majority of them coming at Gulfstream and Gulfstream Park West.

Vitali’s name resurfaced in August when the Maryland Jockey Club alleged that trainer Wayne Potts was acting as a program trainer for Vitali, who was banned at the Maryland tracks at the time. Because of his alleged association with Vitali, Potts was ordered to vacate the grounds at Laurel.

The TDN reached out to Vitali Tuesday and the trainer claimed that because of bad reception, he could not hear the phone call. He said he would call back, but did not do so.

In a story that ran in February in the Attleboro (Mass.) Sun Chronicle detailing Vitali’s plans at the time to open a marijuana growing business, Vitali downplayed his many suspensions.

“Every trainer has been suspended at one time or another,” Vitali said. “There are so many different rules. Each track has different rules.”

When reached by the TDN, Turf Paradise General Manager Vince Francia referred questions to the Arizona Department of Racing

Vitali has two more horses entered Wednesday at Turf Paradise, as well as one horse each on the cards of Jan. 8 and Jan. 11.

For his career, which began in 1990, Vitali has made 5,636 starts and has won 888 races.

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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.”

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$2.65 Million In Stakes To Be Offered During Laurel Park Winter Meet

A trio of allowance events will highlight Friday's nine-race New Year's Day program that launches the 2021 winter meet at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 41-day winter meet is scheduled to run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, March 28, with a 12:25 p.m. first post. Starting Sunday, March 14, post time will move to 12:40 p.m.

There will be special Monday holiday programs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18, and Presidents Day, Feb. 15.

A total of 24 stakes worth $2.65 million in purses will be offered during the winter meet, starting with the Saturday, Jan. 16 Winter Carnival program of six stakes including the inaugural $100,000 Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies.

Winter Sprintfest will take place Saturday, Feb. 13 topped by the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and older and the $250,000 The General's Stake (G3), formerly the General George, for 4-year-olds and up.

Five stakes including the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies help comprise the Good Samaritan Day program Saturday, March 13.

Saturday, April 17 will feature seven stakes led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds and $125,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies. Once again, the 1 1/8-mile Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' race for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Preakness Stakes (G1), and the 1 1/16-mile Weber City will be a 'Win and In' race for the Black-Eyed Susan (G2).

Friday's New Year's Eve card includes an about 1 1/16-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses 4 and up in Race 4 that marks the return of Mine Not Mine. Trained by Brittany Russell, Mine Not Mine was second in the Miracle Wood and third in the Private Terms before going to the sidelines after finishing off the board in a May 31 allowance at Laurel.

Race 5 is an optional claiming allowance for newly turned 3-year-old fillies sprinting 5 ½ furlongs that drew a field of eight including 2-1 program favorite Kewpie Doll, $200,000 yearling Mischiefs Model and Trip to Freedom, third in the Maryland Million Lassie.

The New Year's Day feature comes in Race 7, a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up where Grade 2 winner Still Having Fun, with purse earnings of more than $570,000, will face seven rivals including stakes-placed Tybalt, Hanalei's Houdini and My Friends Beer.

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