James Wolf's Dollarization sat off dueling Grade 3 winners Jaxon Traveler and Wondrwherecraigis and came with a powerful run through the stretch to spring a three-length upset at odds of 18-1 in Saturday's $100,000 Lite the Fuse at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The Lite the Fuse was one of six stakes worth $650,000 in purses on an 11-race program headlined by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).
Based at Penn National with trainer Tim Kreiser, Dollarization ($39.60) had run second in each of his last three starts including a 6 ½-furlong allowance Aug. 27 at Timonium where he broke poorly and wound up beaten 1 ¾ lengths as the favorite by Al Loves Josie. Al Loves Josie came back to be second in the Sept. 10 Challedon at Pimlico, a race in which Dollarization was withdrawn.
“I scratched last time out of the one hole,” Kreiser said. “So I said, 'Well I guess we go in the stake.' We drew the one [again] and I had no other choice [but to run] because I've got a stake in Pennsylvania for him next month, so it would set us up for that race.
“It shows he belongs,” he added. “Everybody was like, 'Why are you in that race?' The horse tries. He didn't get a good start at Timonium last time, and you know how that track is. You just can't [overcome it]. You go out and horses are saving ground on the inside. He tries every time. No complaints. Hopefully, he moves forward and we can keep doing this kind of stuff.”
Jaxon Traveler, winner of the 2022 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico, broke sharply and went to the front, going the opening quarter-mile in 23.66 seconds with 2021 Bold Ruler (G3) winner Wondrwherecraigis pressing to his outside. Jockey Angel Rodriguez settled Dollarization in third along the rail, flanked by 11-time career winner Stage Left.
The two leaders continued to battle up front, straightening for home together after a half went in 46.72 seconds. Rodriguez maintained his position before tipping out to the middle of the track for a stretch run that saw him reel in two horses that have combined for 14 wins, eight in stakes, and more than $1.1 million in purse earnings. The winning time was 1:11.32 over a fast main track.
“We were hoping that something would transpire up front there, it was about our only shot. It did, and he took advantage of it,” Kreiser said. “He got a ground-saving trip and kind of a perfect trip out of the one-hole, really. It was a lot of fun to watch.”
Sir Alfred James made a late run to be second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Stage Left, It was another head back to Wondrwherecraigis in fourth, with Jaxon Traveler – first or second in five previous tries at Pimlico – checking in fifth. Cowan, Little Roo Roo and Scaramouche were scratched.
It was the second career stakes win for Dollarization following the six-furlong Fabulous Strike last August at Penn National. He was claimed for $16,000 out of a win there the previous October.
“He's actually pretty good. When I claimed him he was very nervous,” Kreiser said. “He's changed a lot. He's matured, obviously, and he loves sprinting. They were running him long all the time when I claimed him. We turned him back and he just seems to be a much better sprinter.”
Wondrwherecraigis went off as the 1-2 favorite in the Lite the Fuse, his first race since finishing second for a third consecutive year in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park. Prior to that effort he ran sixth in the Maryland Sprint May 20 at Pimlico.
“Craig's good. He's all good,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “Maybe [he doesn't like the track]. He ran some good races on it earlier. Maybe we just keep him at Laurel. He likes Laurel. That was a bummer.”
Apple Picker Impresses In Weather Vane
Michael Dubb's Apple Picker made her return to the main track a winning one with an impressive victory in the $100,000 Weather Vane.
Trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russell, Apple Picker covered six furlongs in 1:12.11 for her third victory in eight starts. The 3-year-old daughter of Connect had won in May at Delaware on the main track but then finished off the board on the turf at Laurel in the summer in the Stormy Blues and Searching.
Racing for the first time at Pimlico, Russell settled Apple Picker off the pace down the backstretch while Talk to the Judge, Ms. Bucchero and Late Frost all went to the front past fractions of :23.47 and :46.76. But Russell and Apple Picker drove past Late Frost at the eighth pole before cruising home to victory.
“Looking back, we got such a good set up,” Sheldon Russell said. “This is definitely what she wants to do.”
The Weather Vane pays homage to the Maryland-bred mare trained by Richard W. Delp that won 17 races and $724,532 in purses from 1996 to 1998. A former claimer bred by William B. Delp, Weather Vane went on to register 14 stakes victories including the Safely Kept (G3) and Miss Preakness in 1997, the latter before it was graded, and capped her career by being named Maryland-bred champion older female of 1998.
Full Count Felicia Full of Run in $100,000 All Along
Gold Square's Full Count Felicia, racing for just the second time this year, got into a comfortable rhythm on the front end and rolled to her first stakes victory in eye-catching style with an 8 ½-length romp in the $100,000 All Along.
Ridden by Sheldon Russell for his wife, Maryland's leading trainer, Brittany Russell, Full Count Felicia ($4.60) covered the distance in 1:50.36 over a turf course rated good. It was the third straight win for the 4-year-old daughter of War Front dating back to her 2022 season finale last November at Laurel Park.
“She did have a bit of an issue. Not a big deal, but at that time of year when you have a turf horse you kick them out and you do everything right,” Brittany Russell said. “She's just a stronger, heartier filly now being a little bit older. You always wonder about that first time off Lasix, too, things like that, but it doesn't appear to matter.”
Full Count Felicia has won four of five starts since joining Russell last summer, graduating by 6 1/2 lengths in a one-mile maiden special weight at Colonial Downs. She returned to stakes company for the first time since running sixth in the 2022 Virginia Oaks.
Unlike her previous races for the new barn, Full Count Felicia was full of run early and settled nicely through a :23.77 first quarter and a half in ;47.48. Argentinian Group 1 winner Milagrosa Surena tracked in second two wide, with 6-5 favorite Willakia saving ground on the rail in third and Creative Cairo racing outside in fourth.
Full Count Felicia remained in command as the field approached the stretch and opened up on her rivals once straightened for home, drawing away convincingly. Willakia held second, 1 ¼ lengths in front of Creative Cairo, with 40-1 long shot Eight Danzas 1 ½ lengths back in fourth.
“All I did when I legged Sheldon up was I said, 'I don't know what this pace scenario was going to be. Do not choke her out, just let her get comfortable,' and that's what he did,” Russell said. “She was comfortable.”
Intrepid Daydream Sparkles In Shine Again
Paul Fowler Jr.'s 4-year-old homebred filly Intrepid Daydream carried jockey Jevian Toledo past the pacesetter Beneath the Stars entering the stretch and proved much the best in the $75,000 Shine Again.
A Maryland-bred daughter of Jess's Dream, Intrepid Daydream covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:12.74, 1 ½ lengths in front of a closing Deco Strong. Moody Woman rallied for the show.
Intrepid Daydream was rated second down the backstretch behind Beneath the Stars, who set an opening quarter in :23.62 and a half in :46:46. But entering the stretch Intrepid Daydream galloped past the pacesetter and opened up quickly on the rest of the field before driving home to victory.
Intrepid Daydream has now won four of 10 starts with four second-place finishes. Third, beaten less than a length in the Caesar's Wish at Laurel in July, Intrepid Daydream was cutting back in distance after finishing second by a head last time out at seven furlongs at Colonial Downs.
“Days like today are big,” Fowler said.
“It set up good,” said trainer Gary Capuano. “She broke well, and she had a great post, great position. She just kind of followed that horse a little bit and then when it was time to go she just kind of went on by. She kind of waits on horses a little bit at the end so I'm always worried about whether she's going to hang there, but she's come a long way.
The Shine Again honors Allaire duPont's fourth generation Maryland homebred mare that retired in 2003 after winning 14 of 34 starts, seven stakes and nearly $1.3 million in purses. Trained by late Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, she won back-to-back editions of the Ballerina (G1) in 2001 and 2002 and was second in 2003.
Witty Is No Joke In Ben's Cat
After finishing second in his last four starts – and five of his last six – Elizabeth Merryman's homebred Witty found his way to the winner's circle with a very game head victory over Sky's Not Falling in the $75,000 Ben's Cat.
Witty covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :58.59.
A 4-year-old gelding by Great Notion out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, Witty's victory was the fifth of his 17-race career. The gelding also has seven runner-up finishes and earnings of more than $400,000.
A winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery as a 2-year-old and Spectacular Bid at Laurel as a 3-year-old, Witty entered the Ben's Cat after finishing second in the Laurel Dash and Wolf Hill in July and Marshall Jenney at Parx in August.
After breaking cleanly and racing sixth down the backstretch under jockey Jevian Toledo while Commander General and Matta went an opening quarter in :22.51, Witty moved up around the turn and four-wide entering the stretch. Despite a game try by Sky's Not Falling, who encountered some traffic down the stretch, Witty wouldn't let anyone by, gamely getting the victory.
“I think the main thing with him is he's gotten some confidence on the turf,” Merryman said. As for Witty's future, she added, “All things working out well, I would love to go to the Maryland Million Turf Sprint.”
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