Harpers First Ride went to the front from the outside post and led throughout in Friday's $250,000, Grade 3 Pimlico Special, fighting off a bid from 3-5 favorite Owendale and drawing away in deep stretch under Angel Cruz to register his first career graded stakes triumph in his 14th start.
Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride – a 4-year-old gelding by Paynter bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm – covered 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:54.97.
He paid $13 for the win.
Owendale, a three-time Grade 3 winner who finished third behind War of Will in last year's Preakness at the Baltimore, Md., track, held second after dogging Harpers First Ride throughout under John Velazquez. Cordmaker finished third, with 7-2 second choice Tenfold (third behind Justify in the 2018 Preakness) fourth and Forewarned fifth in the field of seven older runners. Monongahela and Plus Que Parfait were scratched.
Harpers First Ride set moderate fractions of :24.41, :48.41, 1:12.11 and 1:35.94 en route to his final clocking.
The Pimlico Special winner was coming off a victory in the Sept. 5 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel in which he sat third, then rallied in the stretch. That was his first stakes victory and fourth win of 2020 in seven starts.
Harpers First Ride began his career in Kentucky racing for his breeder. He was claimed for $30,000 in his third start, a maiden victory on Sept. 14, 2019, then transferred to the Maryland circuit and the barn of Gonzalez, who has dominated the training ranks.
The post Harpers First Ride Scores Frontrunning Victory In Pimlico Special appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
