Pimlico | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pimlico: Turf Racing Suspended For Track Maintenance

Turf racing at Pimlico Race Course will be suspended from Friday, June 25, through Sunday, June 27, to allow for maintenance of the course.

The Maryland Jockey Club June 24 said the maintenance is needed as a result of the extended meet at Pimlico, which originally was scheduled to end live racing May 31. Pimlico opened a few weeks early in late April and was approved to race through Aug. 22 because of the ongoing dirt surface reconstruction project at Laurel Park.

The MJC said the maintenance will allow the Pimlico turf course to be used through the end of the summer meet in late August.

“We want to do more aeration and fertilization,” said MJC Track Superintendent Chris Bosley, who also oversees the turf courses at Pimlico and Laurel. “We want to be able to confidently say the turf course can hold up until we get back to Laurel (in early September). I think getting off the turf course this weekend will help us out a lot—it's a reasonable goal.”

Four grass races had been scheduled for June 25, both short and long, and two turf races around two turns were carded for June 26. The June 27 program will have seven races, all on dirt. The card for Friday, July 2, will be drawn Sunday, June 27, and MJC officials said they are hopeful the turf course will be ready for use for the weekend of July 2-4.

The MJC also announced a change in training hours at Pimlico from Monday, June 28, through Thursday, July 1, because of the removal and replacement of the temporary tent barns being used to house horses that were relocated from Laurel as well as those that ship in on race day from the Maryland State Fair at Timonium and other facilities in the state and region.

Training hours at Pimlico for all horses on those four days will be 5:00-7:30 a.m. with a break from 7:30-8:00 a.m. Training will resume from 8:00-10:00 a.m. but only for horses stabled on the Pimlico Road side of the property. Gate schooling will be available Wednesday, June 30, and Thursday, July 1, from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Steve Koch, Senior Vice President of Racing for 1/ST RACING (The Stronach Group), said the barn transition project already has begun. The temporary stalls currently on the grounds at Pimlico must be relocated because of a previous commitment, and TSG is sending 140 stalls from Santa Anita Park. The tent structures to house the stalls will come from local companies.

There are currently 120 temporary stalls at Pimlico. The transition process will begin in earnest June 28 with a goal of having all 140 stalls available by July 8. An 18-stall barn behind the old wooden grandstand near the far turn at Pimlico is already being constructed to facilitate the transition.

Koch said he has mapped out a plan to address “the transition in the same footprint without displacing horses.” He said the strategy is to add stalls while removing receiving stalls to accommodate horses and ensure that each race day—currently Friday, Saturday and Sunday—120 stalls are available.

If all of the 140 stalls from Santa Anita Park are usable, there will be 20 more stalls at Pimlico than are currently available. When the first set of temporary stalls were constructed, Gulfstream Park, another TSG property, sent more than enough stall mats to accommodate the number of stalls, Koch said.

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Pimlico: Racing Returns Friday With $1.25 Million Carryover In Rainbow 6

Live racing returns to historic Pimlico Race Course Friday to kick off the final weekend of June with another opportunity to take down a Maryland state record carryover jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 that has swelled to $1,253,882.76.

Post time for the first of eight races Friday is 12:40 p.m.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 22nd consecutive racing day during the last live action on the June 20 Father's Day program, when another $150,942 was bet into the popular multi-race wager on top of a $1,205,592.51 carryover.

Sunday saw five favorites win in the six-race sequence, producing multiple winning tickets of $106.82.

Last solved for a $23,346.70 payout May 7, the Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 has far surpassed its previous state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

Friday's Rainbow 6 covers Races 3-8 and opens with a five-furlong claiming sprint on turf for maiden fillies and mares age 3, 4 and 5 (1:37 p.m.). Appropriately, Likely Choice is favored at 9-5 on the morning line for trainer Kelly Rubley, having run second in her turf debut over the course and distance May 22. Bourbon Wildcat, yet to race on grass, was beaten a nose in a six-furlong maiden claimer last December in her most recent start.

Race 4 (2:09 p.m.) is a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares 3 and up which have never won three races, or 3-year-old fillies. Long Point Beach is the 9-5 program favorite, returning to the main track after finishing off the board in a one-mile grass claimer May 23 at Pimlico racing first time off the claim for trainer Hugh McMahon. Jeanie's Angel has been favored in both her starts this year after relocating from South Florida, winning her season debut May 23 and running second by a half-length June 13, both six furlongs.

An overflow field of 15 3-year-olds and up was entered in Race 5 (2:40 p.m.), a starter-optional claimer scheduled for one mile on the grass. Among the group are Tusk, winner of the 2020 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park exiting on off-the-grass win May 30 at Pimlico; Beltway Bob, racing first time since capturing the Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap last October at Laurel Park; King Bubble, first off the claim for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, who connects at 28 percent with those runners; and Mokheef, a last-out eighth in the June 13 Prince George's County.

The feature comes in Race 6 (3:12 p.m.), a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles that drew 10 horses including the quartet of Coal Truth, Clubman, Forest Fire and V.I.P. Ticket, all stakes winners who have combined for 33 victories and nearly $1.3 million in purse earnings from 134 career starts. Hanalei's Houdini drops out of a popular win first off the claim for owner-trainer Kieron Magee May 31 at Pimlico.

Race 7 (3:45 p.m.) is a scheduled 1 1/16-mile turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up where Dig Charlie Dig is narrowly favored at 5-2 on the morning line over Dream Big Dreams. Dig Charlie Dig, trained by Jamie Ness, is winless in six starts this year, four of them seconds including each of his last three. Dream Big Dreams broke his maiden for trainer Brittany Russell in a May 14 maiden special weight at Laurel and most recently was beaten a half-length when second facing older horses for the first time in a restricted allowance May 29 at Pimlico.

Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker has her price play in Race 7, Benny Havens (6-1), making his second start off an eight-month layoff after finishing a troubled seventh June 19 at Pimlico.

“He was taking on some high-quality sprinters in that last event, so I like him in this spot,” she said.

The sequence wraps up in Race 8 (4:17 p.m.), a 1 1/16-mile claimer for 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races. The heavy 3-5 program favorite is My Sacred Place, who will wear blinkers in his second start for Russell after racing once last year on the grass for trainer Brad Cox. In his first start in 330 days, My Sacred Place was in contention early, dropped back and then came on again to be third in a one-mile claimer May 30 at Belmont Park.

My Sacred Place is Tukker's must-use horse in the sequence.

“It doesn't seem like there's that much pace in the race, so I like the idea of him moving forward and hopefully leaving them all scrambling in behind,” she said.

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Naomi Tukker Handicaps Friday’s $1.09 Million Carryover In Pimlico Rainbow 6

Unsolved during an action-packed Sunday featuring five stakes worth $475,000 in purses, the Maryland state record carryover jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 stands at $1,093,866.44 when live racing returns to historic Pimlico Race Course Friday.

Post time for the first of eight races is 12:40 p.m.

A total of $270,155.04 was put into the popular multi-race wager on top of a $1.07 million carryover Sunday, when multiple tickets with all six winners each returned $671.74. Included in the sequence were wins by Valued Notion in the $75,000 Ben's Cat, Pixelate in the $100,000 Prince George's County, undefeated Chub Wagon in the $100,000 Shine Again and Street Lute in the $100,000 Stormy Blues.

Grade 3 winner Blame Debbie, racing for the first time in 200 days, opened Sunday's stakes action with a victory in the $100,000 Searching.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had its previous state record carryover reach $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

Friday's Rainbow 6 begins in Race 3 (1:37 p.m.), a starter-optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass which attracted an overflow field of 15 including 2019 Maryland Million Turf winner Mr. d'Angelo and King Causeway, Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker's “must-use” horse in the sequence.

King Causeway will be making his just second start since last November for trainer Justin Nixon, having rallied to be third in his comeback in a similar spot May 23 at Pimlico. It was only the second time racing away from Woodbine for a 5-year-old gelding that has been third or better in 10 of 17 career starts.

“This horse is an out-and-out closer and they didn't go fast up front, meaning anyone would struggle to make up ground, and still he ended up making six lengths,” Tukker said. “I feel like if the flow sets up in his favor, he could be much impressive in the latter stages of the race and quite the danger at 6-1.”

No Guts No Glory Farm's Blue Sky Painter, owned and trained by Jerry Robb, is favored at 7-5 in Race 4 (2:09 p.m.), a 1 1/16-mile claimer for 3-year-olds and up which have never won three races, or 3-year-olds. The 4-year-old Paynter gelding won first off the claim Feb. 4 at Laurel Park and has been narrowly beaten in three of four subsequent starts, including one each by a nose and a neck.

Tukker's price play comes in Race 5 (2:40 p.m.), a waiver maiden claimer for fillies and mares age 3, 4 and 5, also scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf where Kinda Lucky, racing first time for trainer Brittany Russell after four starts last year for Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, is the 2-1 program favorite.

Richard Golden's 3-year-old Maryland homebred filly Fire in the Hole is one of two horses among 16 entered trained by Graham Motion, listed at 6-1 on the morning line. She debuted running third behind Replicant and next-out winner Sebastian, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, May 8 in an off-the-turf maiden claimer.

“What I very much liked about her is, she's not prominent early but she has this really big, large, reaching stride which makes me think she can easily skip over the turf,” Tukker said. “Plus, she seems to stay for days.”

Claimers 3 and up which have never won three races will sprint six furlongs in Race 6 (3:12 p.m.). Robb and stable rider Xavier Perez once again have the program favorite in Maryland-bred Zip the Lip, off the board in three races since breaking his maiden beating older horses in a six-furlong claimer April 22 at Pimlico.

Back to the grass for a scheduled 1 1/16-mile claiming event for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7 (3:45 p.m.), trainer Hugh McMahon entered the pair of Laddie Liam, making his turf debut in just his fourth start since winning the 2019 Maryland Juvenile Futurity, and Rohrbacher, a five-time winner unraced since February 2020. Breaking side by side from Posts 4 and 5, they are respectively listed at 4-1 and 7-2 odds.

Completing the sequence in Race 8 (4:17 p.m.) is a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint for maidens age 3, 4 and 5. The 4-5 program favorite from Post 6 in a field of nine is Lugamo Racing Stable's Golden G, making his second start for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez after running second as the favorite going six furlongs May 30 at Pimlico over a sloppy track. Gonzalez and jockey Angel Cruz have connected at 29 percent from nearly 200 starters over the past two years.

Notes: Three horses scratched when the Ben's Cat was moved from the grass to the main track return in Saturday's Race 7, a five-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses scheduled for the turf – Joseph, Matta and Railmaster. Also among the overflow field of nine are Grateful Bred, racing first time since finishing fourth behind Fiya in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint last October, and Little Bold Bandit, the 3-year-old younger full brother to 11-time stakes winner Anna's Bandit who graduated in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight May 15 at Charles Town …

The next scheduled stakes during Pimlico's Preakness Meet, extended through Aug. 22 with ongoing renovations on Laurel Park's main track, come Sunday, July 4 with the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, $100,000 Lite the Fuse at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Caesar's Wish going one mile for females 3 and older – both part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series – and $75,000 Jameela for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs on the grass. Nominations close Friday, June 25.

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Newly-Turned Journeyman Charlie Marquez Keeps Up His Momentum At Pimlico

A quick look will show Charlie Marquez still on top of the rider standings at historic Pimlico Race Course during its extended Preakness Meet, a spot the teenage sensation has held for weeks, but a closer looks reveals one significant change.

Marquez's name no longer appears in the program with an asterisk, known as the “bug” in racing parlance, meaning the 18-year-old Columbia, Md. native has graduated from apprentice to journeyman. Nearly three weeks in, the transition has been seamless.

“So far, it's been pretty straightforward. I had to swap agents because they're not allowed to have three journeyman,” Marquez said. “So far we've done a good job, just trying to work hard every day and win as many races as we can.”

Marquez hired Tom Stift, who also represents injured jockey Alex Cintron, to be his agent after having success with Marty Leonard, who books mounts for champion riders Sheldon Russell and Jevian Toledo.

“They all have the stigma when they lose the bug. Trainers will all watch the first couple weeks,” Stift said. “He really had a great first two weeks without the bug. I'll get a message from a trainer and they'll say, 'But he lost the bug,' and then I'll show them a screen shot of all his wins without the bug and they say, 'Ok, put him on.' He's crossed that hurdle.”

Marquez won on the fourth mount of his first day as a journeyman, May 30, with Tusk for trainer Mary Eppler at Pimlico. Through June 16, he had a record of 7-6-8 from 51 mounts since losing his five-pound weight allowance.

During an apprenticeship that was interrupted for 2 ½ months when Maryland racing was paused from mid-March to late May amid the coronavirus pandemic, Marquez won his first race at 16 (Sierra Leona, Jan. 9, 2020 at Laurel Park), spent the final three months of last year riding in New York under the tutelage of retired Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr., and returned to Maryland to start 2021 and earn his first stakes win (21-1 Shackled Love, March 14 Private Terms at Laurel).

A son and grandson of successful jockeys in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Marquez has also dealt with his first injury. He emerged from an Oct. 10 spill at Belmont Park with what was initially thought to be a fractured right wrist but turned out to be a sprain. He rode three races Oct. 18 before taking the next four weeks off.

Marquez ended 2020 as the leading apprentice rider in Maryland with 58 wins, ranking seventh overall, and for the year finished with 71 wins and $1,981,358 in purse earnings from 531 mounts. He was not among the three finalists for the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice won by Alexander Crispin, also based in Maryland.

“Other than covid ruining most of it, I thought I had a good bug year and I'm just trying to keep the good luck rolling,” Marquez said. “I just try to study all the riders every day and learn as much as I can. Every day I just try to progress my learning.”

His dedication shows in Marquez's eagerness to ride at various tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region, and with the ease in backstretch restrictions he is able to go to Delaware and the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. to exercise horses. He also finished his studies and earned his GED to focus on his career.

“You can tell he's just got natural hands on a horse, that's the biggest thing. And he's just getting better. He's only 18, he's got a good future ahead of him,” Stift said. “He does whatever he's asked, he works hard, he's always early to the barn. It's nice to have a young rider like that who's just happy to ride.

“He's real family-oriented. He's very close with his mom and, bringing him up around the racetrack, you've got to give her a lot of credit,” he added. “A lot of times when they get to the track and they're young and win right away and get the money they get a big head, but he's just a nice kid.”

Marquez maintains a four-win advantage over J.D. Acosta (26-22) at Pimlico and is named in six of eight races for Friday's return of live racing that features a Maryland state record carryover jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 of $1,093,866.34.

“[My mom Valerie is] like my number one fan. She's with me everywhere I go. She's my right hand. I have to give her credit for everything that I've earned,” Marquez said. “I get asked all the time [about my goals] and it's always the same: I want to win the Derby one day and be in the Hall of Fame. That's just what work toward every day.”

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