It’s been a long road for Tom’s d’Etat. A Kentucky-bred son of Smart Strike, the striking bay spent the first three years of his career searching for a black-type win.
Tag: Racing
McCarthy Wins Four On Laurel Park Card; Outofthepark Takes Feature
Champion jockey Trevor McCarthy swept the late daily double on a pair of Jamie Ness-trained horses to complete a four-win day Saturday at Laurel Park.
McCarthy, 26, split horses at the top of the stretch and went on to win with favored It's a Journey ($4.40) in Race 10, then came with a rally on the far outside to edge Lucky Ramsey and 10-year-old Chocolate Ride at the wire aboard Minister's Strike ($15) in Race 11.
Earlier on Saturday's program, McCarthy finished first with Cal Lynch-trained Eloquent Lady ($5) in Race 3 and Anima Gemella ($6.80), racing first time for trainer Graham Motion, in Race 6.
Minister's Strike, owned by Ness' Jagger Inc., earned his ninth career win in the finale, a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up on the Kelso turf course. The 6-year-old son of champion English Channel, who went 4-for-8 in 2019, emerged from a three-way photo finish on top.
“He kicked pretty good for me at the top of the stretch when I pulled him out, and I just stayed right on Chocolate Ride's heels the whole way. He was the horse to beat. I just was following him every single step,” McCarthy said. “This horse has been such a warrior. We had such an awesome year with him last year. He's a huge barn favorite, my favorite. Usually he doesn't love this kind of ground, but he showed how much of a warrior he is and how much class he's got. He gave it all he had today.”
Represented by agent Scotty Silver, McCarthy is an 11-time meet titleholder in Maryland and the state's four-time leading rider (2013-14, 2016, 2019) who has dominated since returning to the circuit full-time in the fall of 2018.
“It was a great day. I'm super happy. I just want to thank everybody – Graham and Cal and Jamie for the double. Everything went really smooth, so I was very happy with the day,” McCarthy said. “My agent is doing a great job and it was just one of those days. Everything just kind of clicked. I was very privileged to ride some nice horses today and everything worked out well.”
Saturday Feature Sees Connections Hit One 'Outofthepark'
A belated start to 2020 hasn't slowed Hillwood Stable's Outofthepark, who ran his 4-year-old record to 2-0 with a come-from-behind victory over pacesetter Papal Law in Saturday's featured seventh race at Laurel Park.
A Maryland-bred son of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox, Outofthepark ($6.40) was relentless through the stretch to reel in a stubborn Papal Law and edge past near the wire for a three-quarter-length score in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up over Laurel's world-class turf course.
The winning time for one mile on a firm Kelso course layout was 1:35.57. Victor Carrasco was aboard for trainer Rodney Jenkins and Hillwood's Ellen Charles.
“We were real pleased. Mrs. Charles was with me today and it was exciting,” Jenkins said. “That horse has come a long way since he was a 3-year-old. He was running at the end. He wasn't just playing around.”
Carrasco settled Outofthepark in the clear in fifth as Papal Law, one of three horses entered for a $35,000 tag, led through fractions of 24.96 and 49.07 seconds, pressed to his outside by 35-1 long shot No Bull Addiction. While Papal Law started to gain separation from the field once straightened for home, Carrasco began to roll on Outofthepark around the turn and steadily gained ground on the leader to earn his third win in the last five starts.
Papal Law was a solid second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of 9-5 favorite Taxable Goods, who came on to edge No Bull Addiction by a neck for third.
Winless in his first nine career starts, including a third in the 2018 Maryland Million Nursery second time out, Outofthepark through with a waiver maiden triumph last September, running fourth in the Maryland Million Turf in his subsequent start.
Outofthepark went unraced for seven months before returning with a three-quarter-length score using similar tactics in an entry-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles over a yielding turf at Laurel June 5. Jenkins trained Bandbox to four stakes wins and more than $390,000 in purse earnings for Charles from 2010-14 and hasn't been surprised by his son's development. Since being moved to the turf, Outofthepark has a record of 3-2-1 from seven starts.
“I think that's a Bandbox trait – the older they get, the better they get. They get stronger, they get competitive,” Jenkins said. “I just think it's a growing-up period and if you've got an owner that's patient, you'll see that more than you would with someone that would run this horse at first and then tell the trainer to get rid of him.”
Live racing returns to Laurel Park for programs Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4. Post time both days is 12:40 p.m.
Notes: South Bend, owned by Sagamore Farm of Reisterstown, Md., rallied to be second in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) Saturday at Thistledown in Ohio. Laurel Park-based Lebda, a two-time stakes winner over his home track this winter, dueled for the early lead before finishing sixth in the field of 13.
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Tom’s D’Etat Gains Breeders’ Cup Classic Spot With Stephen Foster Triumph
Gayle Benson's 7-year-old Tom's d'Etat ($4.60) took control at the top of the stretch and swept to a 4 ¼-length victory under Miguel Mean in Saturday's Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and earned an automatic berth into the $7-million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.
Tom's d'Etat, a bay Kentucky-bred son of Smart Strike trained by Al Stall Jr., completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.30, which is the second fastest time in the history of the Stephen Foster. It was his fourth consecutive win, following victories last year in the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland, the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs, and this year in the Oaklawn Mile at Oaklawn Park on April 11.
Tom's d'Etat, joins Capital System's Mozu Ascot, winner of the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 23, as the first two horses to earn automatic berths into the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles at Keeneland.
Benson, who races under the name of GMB Racing, is the owner of the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans.
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Mean Mary Leads All The Way In New York Stakes For Fourth Straight Win
Alex G. Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary broke sharp from the outside post, led the six-horse field through every point of call and extended her lead in the stretch for a front-running 5 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 New York for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Trainer Graham Motion saw Mean Mary start her 4-year-old campaign with consecutive graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, starting with the Grade 3 La Prevoyante in January and the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28.
The Scat Daddy filly improved to 3-for-3 in her 2020 campaign, with Luis Saez sending her to the front, where she posted comfortable fractions of 25.11 seconds for the quarter-mile, 51.55 for the half and three-quarters in 1:16.28 on the inner turf course labeled firm even after a slight rain shower earlier.
Out of the far turn, Saez kept Mean Mary driven as she pulled away from the field, completing the 1 ¼-mile course in a final time of 2:01.85.
Mean Mary won for the fourth straight time overall and improved to 5-1-0 in seven career starts. Saez has been aboard for every start during the winning streak.
“I had a lot of confidence in her today,” Saez said. “She always does everything right. Today, she was just galloping. The track feels good today and I think the rain helped her. She was super relaxed, even more so than her last race. She feels better now than she did last time.”
Off at 6-5, Mean Mary returned $4.40 on a $2 win wager. The Kentucky homebred improved her career earnings to $396,160.
“You always wonder a little bit about Florida; did she just suit that course? But this is so different than running at Gulfstream,” Motion said. “The way she did it was pretty impressive. I worried a little bit. You always worry a little bit with that much time away and I wanted to keep her fresh, but she also had to be fit.
“The course took a little bit of rain, but it's so different than what she had been running on,” he added. “I think she might be one of those horses where you don't have to make too many excuses.”
My Sister Nat, one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, edged the Christophe Clement-trained Feel Glorious by a neck for second after rallying from sixth. That marked the second straight race the French-bred daughter of Acclamation finished as the runner up, following her North American graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Long Island in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Call Me Love, also trained by Clement, ran fourth, followed by the Brown-conditioned Fools Gold and Valiance to complete the order of finish. Mrs. Sippy was scratched.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on Belmont's Big Sandy in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.
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