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Everett’s Song Makes First Trip To Churchill A Winning One In Harrods Creek

A fast early pace set up the closing late kick for SAB Stable Inc.'s Delaware Park invader Everett's Song as he rallied to a 2 ¾-length victory over He'smyhoneybadger in Saturday's first running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Everett's Song, trained by Dale Bennett and ridden by Pablo Morales, covered the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.68 to give the trainer, jockey, and ownership group, headed by Diane Olsen, their first wins at Churchill Downs.

The winner's share of $162,525 increased Everett's Song's earnings to $226,525 with a record of 3-1-0 in four starts.

The connections were considering Everett's Song for Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby over 1 1/8 miles at Parx – won by Hot Rod Charlie, with Midnight Bourbon second – but prudently opted for the seven-furlong Harrods Creek instead.

“I owe it all to my owners for wanting to run in this spot,” Bennett said. “I thought the distance would fit him just fine from his previous three races.”

Dreamer's Disease led the field of 10 down the backstretch through swift early fractions of :21.81 and :44.61 with Emerald Forest tracking in second and Everett's Song in the clear well back in seventh. Leaving the turn, Everett's Song cut the margin in half and was one of six horses that appeared to have a chance to win with a furlong to run. The collapse of the fast pace benefitted Everett's Song as he surged to the front inside the final sixteenth of a mile and edged clear late.

“I knew I had a lot of horse underneath me,” Morales said. “I feel like every time I asked him to run he would just take off. Coming around the turn, I couldn't wait to tip him out. Inside the final furlong he kept giving me more and more. I'm just extremely happy with his performance today and so thrilled for Dale and the owners. He's a really nice horse.”

A maiden winner in July and three-length victor of a first-level allowance in August at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., Everett's Song returned $27.60, $11.40, and $7.80 at odds of 12-1. He'smyhoneybadger rallied from second-to-last for second under Martin Garcia and paid $12.60 and $6.60 with last-to-third Ram finishing another length back in third and returning $8.20 to show under Rafael Bejarano.

Bob's Edge, the tepid 3-1 favorite, was fourth and was followed by Emerald Forest, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Flags Up, Dreamer's Disease, Shadow Matter, and St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity.

Everett's Song was bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm. He is a gelded son of Liam's Map out of the Indian Charlie mare Pelipa.

“I still think he wants more distance,” Bennett said. “I'm not sure what we'll end up doing next but we're really pleased with his effort today.”

The race honors the neighborhood of Louisville centered near Harrods Creek at the intersection of River Road and Wolf Pen Branch Road. It is roughly bordered by the Ohio River to the west and US 42 to the east. Formerly an unincorporated community, it was designated a neighborhood of Louisville when the city merged with Jefferson County in 2003.

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Caravel Dazzles In Friday’s Goldwood; Graded Stakes On The Horizon

Owner and trainer Elizabeth Merryman now knows that she has to aim even higher when she decides on the next start for her talented turf sprinting filly Caravel.

The 4-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast turned in another dazzling – and winning – effort, drawing away with ease to score a 4¼-length victory in Friday night's $75,000 Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park.

How good was Caravel in winning for the sixth time in eight career starts? When she flashed across the finish line in a slightly eased-up :54.97 for the five furlongs on the grass she missed the 10-year-old track record by just four-tenths of a second.

“I thought it was brilliant,” Merryman said of the performance by the filly she also bred. “She pulled away like it was nothing. It would be really nice to try graded stakes company with her next. So maybe the (Grade 3) Caress at Saratoga (on July 24). We'll see. With these turf races the weather is everything. She is just a dream. She continues to amaze me every time she races.”

Ridden by Pablo Morales, Caravel broke a tad slow but was able to sit comfortably in fourth early on behind dueling leaders Gotta Go Mo and Victory Kingdom, who ripped off the opening quarter in :20.56. Morales moved Caravel off the rail and outside entering the final turn, with the opening half going in :43.44. He then set her down after Miss Auramet, who was poised to take the lead in mid-stretch over the tiring frontrunners.

But Caravel ran right by Miss Auramet, who was coming off a May 30 victory in the Politely Stakes at Monmouth Park.

“She broke well. I just didn't send her,” said Morales. “I was going to be wherever I was going to be with her because I know she is usually forwardly placed on her own.

“After they sent so hard out of there, showing a ton of speed, I just figured I'd wait a little and get around them and get in the clear because I know how well she finishes. She has a great closing kick.”

Caravel returned $5.80 to win in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. Miss Auramet held for second, a half-length ahead No Mercy Percy.

Bred in Pennsylvania, Caravel's only two lifetime defeats were third-place finishes on a good and a yielding turf course. She won the Very One Stakes at Pimlico on May 14 in her last start, overcoming traffic issues to do so.

Owner, Breeder and Trainer of Caravel, Elizabeth Merryman gives the thumbs up after winning the Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, NJ on Friday June 25, 2021. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

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In Stakes Debut, Secret Love Posts $28 Upset In Franklin Square

Secret Love handled her first stakes appearance – and first start on an off track – with a strong stretch-drive move, with the field's longest shot outkicking 3-5 favorite Laobanonaprayer by 1 1/2 lengths to capture Saturday's $100,000 Franklin Square for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned by Nedlaw Stable and Tobey Morton, Secret Love won her debut in September going six furlongs at Belmont Park. After running second at the same distance on December 20 at the Big A, trainer John Kimmel moved the Not This Time filly up in class in the seventh running of the 6 ½-furlong Franklin Square.

She responded by tracking in second position behind pacesetter Rossa Veloce, who led the five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.76 seconds and the half in 46.68 on the muddy and sealed main track.

Jockey Pablo Morales kept her forwardly placed out of the turn with plenty in reserve, as she easily overtook a fading Rossa Veloce from the outside at the top of the stretch. Morales, utilizing left-handed encouragement, repelled Laobanonaprayer's late outside bid, hitting the wire in 1:19.86.

“She came to run,” said Morales, who won his first stakes at the Big A since Great Intentions in the 2006 Flip's Pleasure. “They gave me a lot of confidence in her. They told me to have her forwardly placed because they thought she was going to run big. I pretty much followed instructions and came out of there running. Once the other horse made the lead, I just sat second the whole way around there. She gave me a nice kick down the lane and I thought it was good enough to win and she sure did.

“I knew everybody was right there,” he added. “I knew it was a competitive field and I wasn't going to draw off in hand and I would have to keep on riding. She dug in hard and I knew with the run she gave me, she was going to be tough to pass.”

Off at 13-1, Secret Love paid $28 on a $2 win wager. Bred by Sequel Stallions NY and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Secret Love more than doubled her career earnings to $98,000. She was purchased for $270,000 at the 2020 OBS July 2-year-Old Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Kimmel said Secret Love had been working with fellow New York-bred sophomore Frost Me, who won an optimal claimer event on January 8 at Aqueduct.

“The filly broke her maiden very impressively but she lost a shoe and grabbed her quarter and that's why she missed the next 90 days,” Kimmel said about the break between her first and second starts. “We came back and ran her in an 'a other than' off a long layoff and I think she needed that race. She had a couple breezes after that race and was breezing extremely well and outworking Frost Me. Today, they kind of overlooked her and sent her off at a generous 13-1.”

Kimmel said he was impressed with Secret Love's sophomore bow and could run next in the $100,000 Maddie May for state-breds going one mile on February 20 at Aqueduct, along with stablemate Frost Me.

“He [Morales] got her off the inside and he did a very nice job,” Kimmel said. “Laobanonaprayer is a proven horse and a very nice filly. I thought our filly did very well. The pace was very quick up front and she held on. Maybe the track helped her as it might have been tough to make any big closing moves today.”

Laobanonaprayer, who entered with stakes wins in her last two starts, edged Vacay by a neck for second. The Daniel Velazquez trainee is 2-2-1 in five career starts.

“I never had the horse today,” said Laobannaprayer's jockey Kendrick Carmouche. “She missed some training at Parx and you've got to be ready when you come to New York. He [trainer Daniel Velazquez] thought he had the best horse and could still win. The filly still tried.”

Rossa Veloce and A Life That's Good completed the order of finish. Caramocha was scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Ladies Handicap for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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‘Hard Work Is Paying Off’ For Kendrick Carmouche At Aqueduct

The first weekend of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet saw veteran rider Kendrick Carmouche surge to the top of the standings, posting nine wins, a pair of runner-up efforts and a third-place finish in 27 mounts, registering five more wins than the next-closest rider in Pablo Morales with one-sixth of the 18-day meet concluded.

The long-time New York stalwart made a name for himself on the Parx circuit, winning seven riding titles there from 2008-11 and earning induction into its Hall of Fame in 2015. But racing in the highly competitive NYRA circuit has still seen the 36-year-old earn trips to the winner's circle, including aboard Malathaat in the $100,000 Tempted on Friday. That marked a memorable day that also saw him pilot Microsecond to victory in the day's seventh race, earning trainer Todd Pletcher his 5,000th career win.

“Coming from Parx, I could win three, four, sometimes five races a day there, and to come to New York, I've been here for five years and I think the work I've been putting in, you can see it now,” Carmouche said. “I've had a lot of support from my family and the fans and the owners and trainers, they've been great and it means a lot.

“No matter who I'm on, I'm trying to put the horse in the best position for my horse to win,” he added. “I'm putting my horse in the best position. Once I get that, I'm going to try and win it from there. If I don't get the job done, that's the way it is. But it's tough riding with the best riders in New York. I feel like I'm doing good for my situation, I just need to work a little bit harder and do things a little bit different. The hard work is paying off.”

Entering Thursday, Carmouche had posted a winning percentage of 33.33 percent and has finished in the money in more than 44 percent of his starts this meet, compiling earnings of $432,503.

For his career, which started with his first victory in 2000, Carmouche has amassed 3,300 wins in more than 20,000 starts, notching earnings in excess of $112 million and six career Grade 2 wins, including this year aboard Fire At Will in the Pilgrim.

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