mid-atlantic thoroughbred championship series

De Francis Dash Moves to Laurel Summer Meet

Laurel Park's summer meet stakes schedule–anchored by the repositioned $150,000 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash–features 14 stakes worth $1.3 million. The six-furlong DeFrancis has been moved from its traditional spot on Laurel's fall calendar and will be run July 16 this year.

Joining the De Francis on the July 16 program are the $100,000 Alma North S., the $100,000 Big Dreyfus S., and the $100,000 Prince George's County S. All four races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

The 37-day summer meet opens Friday and continues through Aug. 21. Racing will be conducted Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer meet, with a post time of 12:40 p.m. There will be a special Independence Day holiday program Monday, July 4.

The post De Francis Dash Moves to Laurel Summer Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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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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Russell Rides Hello Beautiful To Alma North Victory, Gets 1,500th Winner

Jockey Sheldon Russell celebrated his 1,500th career victory in style Saturday, guiding Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful to a popular 3 ¾-length score in the $100,000 Alma North at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The fifth running of the Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and older was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the final program of July, followed by the Challedon, also sprinting six furlongs, and 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony, both for 3-year-olds and up.

All three races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

It was the eighth career win and sixth in a stakes for Hello Beautiful ($2.20), who is trained by Russell's wife, Brittany. The final time of 1:09.63 was the fastest of two runnings at the current distance.

“It's always anxious because she means so much to us and she's been so good,” Sheldon Russell said. “As soon as she got the first quarter, I knew that she was in her happy place and it was cruise control from there. The final time was extremely impressive. She's a good filly.

“I'm just very happy that we got it out of the way, and for it to happen on Hello Beautiful. She's been a great filly throughout my career, she's given me some great wins,” he added. “She was mine and Brittany's first stakes winner together, so for me to reach a milestone on one of our favorite fillies, it's something I'll never forget.”

To commemorate the milestone, Russell teamed with agent Marty Leonard to gift Hello Beautiful's groom, Luis Barajas, with $1,500. It was a gesture Russell began with $1,000 for his 1,000th winner on March 7, 2015, with Shayjolie in the Cat Cay at Aqueduct.

“Luis has been with us for about a year now. He's a key role behind the scenes at the barn and he takes care of some really, really nice fillies,” Russell said. “He's got years of experience, so when they come with that kind of background, straight away when he came into Brittany's barn she gave him the best five horses pretty much that she has.

“It's good that the money's coming home. I see these guys on a daily basis and for them to make the extra money is always great,” he added. “Just finally to have gotten the 1,500, we can start moving forward now. I was starting to feel the pressure there. I had a couple of close finishes [Friday] and then today. It takes the pressure off.”

Beaten at the wire in his first mount of the day, 3-5 favorite Make It a Double in Race 2 for trainer Anthony Farrior, Russell and Hello Beautiful quickly established command as the 1-9 choice in a field of five. They rolled through a quarter-mile in :23.41 and a half in :45.84 with mild pressure from Call On Mischief.

Hello Beautiful straightened for home in front and shook loose through the stretch from Call On Mischief, who stayed up for second by a neck over Precious, followed by Bluefield and Paisley Singing. Club Car was scratched.

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It was the first win in three tries at Pimlico for Hello Beautiful, having run third in her May 10, 2019 unveiling and second by a neck to undefeated Chub Wagon in the June 13 Shine Again. Bred in Maryland by Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable, Hello Beautiful was picked out and purchased by Brittany Russell for $6,500 at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December 2018 mixed sale.

“The question was always is she a horse for the course at Laurel and she's run two big races at Pimlico now so it's good that she can run on a different surface, as well. It feels great,” Brittany Russell said.

Hello Beautiful won the Jan. 16 What A Summer, 2020 Safely Kept and Maryland Million Distaff, and 2019 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Maryland Million Lassie, all with Sheldon Russell aboard at Laurel Park. She now has earnings of $464,610 from 16 lifetime starts and a milestone win for husband and wife, who are parents to daughter, Edy, who turns 2 next month, and are expecting a second child in November.

“It's really incredible it worked out that way, especially because [Sheldon] was on a very live horse of Farrior's in the second race and they're very good friends of ours,” she added. “I would have been just as happy to see him do it on his horse, but then when the horse got nailed on the line, selfishly I thought, 'Ok. It's going to be the big filly.' She means so much to us. It's very special.”

Russell was Maryland's overall leading rider in 2011 and has won eight career meet titles, the most recent coming at Laurel Park's calendar year-ending 2020 fall stand. He has battled various injuries over the course of his career and currently ranks second to Charlie Marquez for the state's most wins in 2021.

“In this game, you've got to stay healthy. The wins will always come. Knock on wood, we've been on a bit of a roll here and not been injured for a while,” Sheldon Russell said. “Just very fortunate. I'm happy to get to this milestone; hopefully, we can get to 2,000.”

The Alma North is named for the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year in 1971 and Maryland-bred champion older filly of 1972. Owned by the late Eugene Mori's East Acres Stable, Alma North won 23 of 78 career starts with $513,597 in purse earnings from 1970-74. Her victories included graded-stakes scores in the Grade 1 Matchmaker and Grade 2 Vineland, Grade 3 Margate, and Grade 3 Betsy Ross handicaps in 1973.

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Yaupon, Mrs. Orb Take MATCH Races At Pimlico; Series Resumes July 31

Yaupon and Mrs. Orb took their respective Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH) stakes July 4 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and the usually contentious 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division is again shaping up as one to watch

The two MATCH Series stakes joined two other stakes on an 11-race holiday program that generated $10.06 million in pari-mutuel handle that included a mandatory Pick 6 payout wager with a $5.1 million pool and a $1.43 million carryover.

In the $100,000 Lite the Fuse Stakes, the second of six legs in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division this year, Yaupon, owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, got back on the winning track after eighth-place finishes in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in November 2020 and the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred by Uncle Mo had been training this spring at Churchill Downs and previously had won his first four races, including the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico in October 2020.

With Ricardo Santana Jr. riding for trainer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon stalked front-running Chateau for about a half-mile before taking over in upper stretch in the six-furlong event. He gradually pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Laki, who bid between those two on the far turn and ran on well for second. Chateau checked in third.

Yaupon, the heavy favorite, paid $2.80 to win and covered the distance in 1:09.43 on a track rated fast.

”He broke really sharp,” said Santana, who rode Yaupon for the first time. “He came in the race from the layoff and I wanted to give him a little break. He put me in a good position, so I let him take a second deep breath and at the three-eighths pole when my horse felt the other horse, he took off back.”

The other horse was Laki, who rated in third early and made his bid on the far turn. Laki, owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows and trained by Damon Dilodovico, finished fifth in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes—the first race in the division—but rebounded nicely in the Lite the Fuse.

“He ran really well,” Dilovodico said. “I thought he may be able to get outside down the backstretch because it looked like Yaupon (wasn't gaining on the leader). But there's no shame in running second to him. We're really blessed to have this horse.”

Yaupon and Special Reserve, winner of the Maryland Sprint, each have 10 points to top the division. Maryland-bred Laki now has 9 points thanks to having started in both stakes in the division thus far.

Mrs. Orb, a New York-bred owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and trainer Mike Miceli, went over the $500,000 mark in earnings in the 1 1/16-mile Caesar's Wish, the second of six legs in the Filly and Mare Long—Dirt division. Ridden by Horacio Karamanos, who also rode Laki, Mrs. Orb rated in fourth through quick fractions before taking over in mid-stretch and holding off a late rally by Trolley Ride. Sweet Sami D. finished an even third.

Mrs. Orb, a 6-year-old mare by Orb, has been a fixture in New York-bred stakes company but last November was second in a Grade 3 stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. She has been first, second or third in 13 of 15 starts.

“She's a tough gal—she's not easy to train, but you don't mind when they can run,” Miceli said. “She's a little temperamental. You pretty much have to cater to her.”

Mrs. Orb, a slight favorite, paid $6.20 to win and covered the distance in 1:44.17 on a track rated fast. She collected 10 MATCH Series points to tie Spice Is Nice at the top of the division.

The 2021 MATCH Series continues July 31 at Pimlico with three stakes in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division, Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division and 3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division. Undefeated Chub Wagon, owned by George Chestnut and Daniel Lopez, leads the Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division and the overall series with 20 points.

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