Cordmaker Gets Seventh Career Stakes Win In Richard W. Small At Laurel

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, still going strong at the age of 6, overpowered several younger rivals including 3-year-old favorite Shackqueenking to register his seventh career stakes victory, a 1 ¾-length decision over Workin On a Dream in Saturday's $100,000 Richard W. Small at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 21st running of the 1 1/8-mile Small for 3-year-olds and up, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, was the last of three $100,000 stakes on the program, preceded by the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, each sprinting seven furlongs.

Cordmaker ($12.20) ran second in last year's Small to Harpers First Ride, who went on to win the historic Grade 3 Pimlico Special, a race where Cordmaker finished third for the second consecutive year. The winning time Saturday was 1:50.48 over a fast main track.

“It's great for the horse and the barn and [owner] Mrs. [Ellen] Charles,” winning trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “It's a nice thing all around.”

With regular rider Victor Carrasco aboard, Cordmaker settled in third as 17-1 long shot Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking led the way, going the opening quarter-mile in :24.58 and a half in :47.59. Racing in the clear, Cordmaker closed the gap after six furlongs went in 1:11.84 and swooped to the front at the top of the stretch, running a mile in 1:37.14.

“I wanted him to stay closer. We've been taking him, not way out of it, but pretty far and that's a lot of ground to make up in a stakes race,” Jenkins said. “I told Victor, 'Keep him up in there and make them run,' and he did. Victor gave him a great ride.”

Shackqueenking finished third, with two lengths separating him from runner-up Workin On a Dream and Forewarned in fourth. They were followed by Informative, Tappin Cat, Mischief Afoot, Treasure Trove, Bustoff, and McElmore Avenue.

Cordmaker, a gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, added to his lead in the MATCH Series' 3-year-olds and up long dirt division with his 11th career victory from 33 starts, pushing his lifetime bankroll over $700,000 and bouncing back from being disqualified from second to sixth for interference in the Sept. 18 Polynesian at Laurel.

“His last race, when he had that [incident] down here, you never know how they're going to react the next time, and that made me nervous,” Jenkins said. “But he came around great.”

Formerly run as the Broad Brush, the multi-millionaire and four-time Grade 1 winner he trained, the Richard W. Small was renamed following the beloved horseman's death from cancer in 2014. Baltimore-born 'Dickie' Small served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a Green Beret before becoming a trainer, also campaigning Broad Brush's son, 1994 G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Concern. He won at least one stakes race in Maryland every year but one between 1974 and 2014 and is also known for helping launch the riding careers of female jockeys such as Andrea Seefeldt, Jerilyn Brown, Rosie Napravnik, and Forest Boyce.

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Spectacular Bid, Xtra Heat Stakes Highlight Laurel Park’s Winter Carnival Program

Louis J. Ulman and H. Neil Glasser's multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion, beaten a neck in his most recent start, looks to snap a two-race losing streak when he takes on eight rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Spectacular Bid at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The inaugural Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, are among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Winter Carnival program that kicks off Maryland's 2021 stakes calendar.

Post time for the first of nine races is 12:25 p.m.

The defection of undefeated Jaxon Traveler with a minor foot bruise leaves Kenny Had a Notion and Shackqueenking, respectively trained by Laurel-based brothers Dale and Gary Capuano, as the lone stakes winners in the field.

Kenny Had a Notion won the 5 ½-furlong Jamestown against fellow Virginia-breds over Laurel's world-class turf course and the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery on dirt in successive starts 15 days apart in October.

In his most recent start, the Great Notion gelding set a demanding pace in the seven-furlong Heft Stakes Dec. 26, fought on gamely along the inside and just missed by a neck behind winner No Cents. He has breezed twice since, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.60 Jan. 6.

“He's been doing pretty well since that last race. He ran a pretty game race that day,” Dale Capuano said. “He ran pretty hard, so hopefully he'll improve for it a little bit this time. We'll see. Hopefully, everything goes well.”

Kenny Had a Notion will be racing for the second time after having a minor procedure performed following an atypical effort in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Nov. 14 where he raced in contention for a half-mile before flattening out to be sixth, again behind No Cents.

“He displaced his palate and then we did the surgery on him, so [the Heft] was his first race after having the surgery,” Capuano said. “I thought he would have run better if he didn't displace his palate. That really seemed to help. He's been good since then.”

Jorge Ruiz, aboard for both stakes wins as well as the Heft, gets a return call from Post 6 at co-topweight of 122 pounds.

“You have to strike when the iron's hot with some of them. He'll probably get a break after this race,” Capuano said. “There's not a whole lot coming up so we'll probably give him a little rest after this one, I'm thinking. But we'll see.”

Pocket 3's Racing's Shackqueenking alternated finishing first and second through four starts last year, breaking his maiden second time out and emerging from an extended stretch duel a nose in front in the Dec. 26 Howard County, both races going 1 1/16 miles over Laurel's main track. Victor Rosales, up in both wins, rides back at 122 pounds from Post 7.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu beat Kenny Had a Notion when second in the First State Dash Sept. 26 at Delaware Park. A first-out maiden winner last summer at Delaware, the gelded son of 2009 Whitney (G1) winner Bullsbay made his Laurel debut Dec. 11 with a popular front-running 1 ¼-length triumph.

“It was nice that we actually got to keep him home last time. He's Pennsylvania-bred and we considered taking him up there for a stake. He's also Delaware certified and he ran second in the stake they have there,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “He ran well on this track and I think it means a lot walking out of his own stall so I think he deserves a shot on Saturday. He's been doing really well. No complaints with that guy.”

Maythehorsebwithu will be trying stakes company for the second time and first with Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, who was up for the last race. Russell was also named for Maythehorsebewithu's unveiling but broke his wrist in a starting gate mishap three races prior.

“It was kind of nice last time to see Sheldon get on him because he's done so much work with him in the morning. When he finally got to ride him in the afternoon the horse broke well and he ran like a good horse. Sheldon has said all along that he thinks the horse is pretty decent,” Brittany Russell said.

“This horse has some gas to him and he's just had a little bit of bad racing luck as far as getting away right,” she added. “It's nice to move forward into deeper waters coming off a win. It gives you a bit more confidence.”

Maythehorsebwithu drew Post 8 outside both stakes winners and will carry 118 pounds.

Erawan, third in the Howard County; recent Laurel maiden winners Golden Gulley and Wicked Prankster; Scotch Rock's, who graduated by a neck going 6 ½ furlongs Dec. 23 at Parx; Tiz Mandate, fifth in the Heft in his second career start; and Nobody Knew complete the field.

Four-Time Stakes Winner Street Lute Launches Season in $100,000 Xtra Heat
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, a winner of three consecutive stakes to cap her juvenile campaign, will get the chance to make it four straight and get her sophomore season off to a successful start in the $100,000 Xtra Heat.

Last run at Pimlico in 2007, the Xtra Heat honors the Maryland-based Hall of Fame mare and champion 3-year-old filly of 2001 that won 26 of 35 career starts, captured 25 stakes including the Prioress (G1), and was second against the boys in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), both during her championship season.

Street Lute was a neck shy of being undefeated through six starts at 2, losing the six-furlong Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 24 by a neck to Miss Nondescript. She followed with wins in the Nov. 14 Smart Halo going six furlongs and the Dec. 5 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Dec. 26 Gin Talking sprinting seven furlongs, the latter by a desperate nose after taking a four-length lead into the stretch.

“In the Maryland Million that day, the only reason she got beat is because she never saw that horse coming,” trainer Jerry Robb said. “She was trying to get by the one on the inside of her, which she did, but she never saw the one on the outside of her until it was too late.

“I think she's definitely a better sprinter. I think seven-eighths is pushing it. She did seven-eighths easy against Maryland-breds but almost got beat in open company,” he added. “I'll keep her sprinting and try to pick some easy spots for her where she belongs.”

Robb said Street Lute gave an indication early on that the connections were in for a special season, overcoming a serious eye injury that required surgery and meticulous follow-up care to win her unveiling last fall at Delaware Park.

“During that time she had lost a lot of training. I had been pointing her toward the Delaware-certified stake and I knew I wasn't going to make it,” Robb said. “The only way I could make it was to maybe run her once at Delaware and use that race as a workout, so I ran her not expecting her to do anything and she won.

“I knew right then and there that there was something special about her, because she beat some nice horses that day when she was nowhere near ready to win,” he added. “She was good enough to go over there and get a race over the track and that was about it. From that point on, I knew she would just keep improving and that's what she's done.”

Xavier Perez, up for each of her last three wins, rides back from Post 3 in a field of eight.

“She's been the same as always. She's always been a handful. She's ready to go,” Robb said. “You try to give her a little break and just jog her and she goes crazy. You have to train her just to keep her on the ground.”

Street Lute will face another stakes winner in BB Horses' Miss Leslie, who will be cutting back to six furlongs off her thrilling come-from-behind head triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26.

It was the third straight win for the daughter of Grade 1 winner Paynter and second since being claimed for $25,000 by Maryland's four-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Roimes Chirinos gets the return call from Post 2.

“I wish we had a race that was going longer because I think longer is going to be better for her, but we're going to give it a try,” Gonzalez said. “Last time she ran big. She ran right back in two weeks after running six furlongs to running a mile and a sixteenth and it's not easy, especially for 2-year-olds. She had to run between horses and she still won. Everything we ask her, she does it.”

Also entered are Plane Drunk, winner of the Shamrock Rose Nov. 6 at Penn National; Trip to Freedom, third in the Maryland Million Lassie; Whiskey and Rye, fourth in the Gin Talking; It Can, unbeaten in two starts at 2 making her stakes debut; Breeze Off the Bay and Incomparable.

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No Cents, Street Lute, Shackqueenking, And Miss Leslie Find Success In Laurel Stakes Races

Isabelle de Tomaso and Hope Jones' homebred No Cents survived both a resurgent effort from fellow stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion along the rail and a lengthy inquiry to extend his win streak to four races in Saturday's $100,000 Heft at Laurel Park.

The Heft for males and $100,000 Gin Talking for fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, were among four stakes for 2-year-olds on a Christmastide Day program serving up eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses.

Juveniles also went around two turns at about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 Howard County for males, won by Shackqueenking, and $100,000 Anne Arundel County for fillies, won by Miss Leslie.

It was the second straight stakes victory for No Cents ($3.40) following his 1 ¼ length triumph in the James F. Lewis III Nov. 14, also at Laurel. Ridden by Alex Cintron, the juvenile son of multiple Grade 1 winner Goldencents completed the distance in 1:23.79 over a fast main track.

Kenny Had a Notion, winner of the Jamestown on turf for Virginia-breds and Maryland Million Nursery on dirt two weeks apart in October, ran the opening quarter-mile in 22.78 seconds before fellow stakes winner Singlino went a half in 45.45. Cintron kept No Cents in the clear three wide and went after the leaders at the top of the lane, grinding away to take a short lead inside the eighth pole, only to have Kenny Had a Notion battle gamely inside but fall a neck short.

Jevian Toledo, the rider of third place finisher Singlino, lodged an objection against Cintron and No Cents for drifting in and impeding his path near the eighth pole, but the complaint was dismissed after an extended review.

Based at Laurel with trainer Cal Lynch, No Cents made his first three starts at Monmouth Park, breaking his maiden against fellow New Jersey-breds second time out Sept. 27 and winning an open entry-level allowance Oct. 21 prior to his score in the Lewis.

Street Lute Narrow Winner of $100,000 Gin Talking
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute ended a near-perfect rookie season the way it began – in the winner's circle – leading from start to finish and holding off a frantic late bid from longshot Fraudulent Charge for a popular nose triumph in the $100,000 Gin Talking.

Ridden for the third straight race by Xavier Perez for trainer Jerry Robb, Street Lute ($2.80) ran seven furlongs in 1:23.39 over a fast main track. Sent off at odds of 2-5 in a field reduced to four by scratches, Street Lute earned her fifth win from six starts, fourth in a stakes and third straight, all at Laurel.

Street Lute broke on top and raced through fractions of 23.55 and 46.21 seconds under mild pressure from Whiskey and Rye, making her stakes debut. Out of Sorts, runner up to Street Lute in the Nov. 14 Smart Halo, made a sweeping move to get into contention on the far turn but couldn't keep up as Street Lute began to separate from the field.

Fraudulent Charge settled in a ground-saving position along the rail and was second after turning for home. Tipped to the outside by jockey Johan Rosado, Fraudulent Charge made a spirited bid on the outside and nearly pulled off the upset at 9-1 in just her second career start.

Out of Sorts was third, with Whiskey and Rye fourth. Aug Lutes, Beautiful Grace and Blissful Behavior were scratched.

Street Lute, bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman, won the Small Wonder in September at Delaware Park second time out and suffered her only career loss by a neck in the Oct. 24 Maryland Million Lassie behind Miss Nondescript, avenging that defeat in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Dec. 5 at Laurel.

Shackqueenking Rules in $100,000 Howard County
Pocket 3's Racing's Shackqueenking, favored in his first try against stakes company, dueled with stakes-tested Ain't Da Beer Cold through the stretch and got his nose down on the wire to win the $100,000 Howard County.

Ridden by Victor Rosales for trainer Gary Capuano, Shackqueenking ($6.40) completed about 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.36 over a fast main track for his second win from four starts, all since Nov. 1.

“I've run him pretty quick four times now in a short period of time but he seems to relish it. I have to train him the morning of the race because he just gets wild, but he's not bad,” Capuano said. “He's just a good-feeling horse. Victor does a good job with him and it all worked out well. He ran game. It was tight.”

Ain't Da Beer Cold, most recently fourth in the Maryland Juvenile Futurity behind undefeated Jaxon Traveler Dec. 5 at Laurel, was hustled to the front from Post 6 by jockey Angel Cruz and held it through splits of 24.13 seconds, 48.06 and 1:12.17. Shackqueenking rated just off the leader heading to the stretch when they hooked up, with Ain't Da Beer Cold appearing to take a short lead inside the sixteenth pole before Shackqueenking surged again.

“I was really happy. The six horse broke and looked like he really wanted the lead. He sent him there and victor did a good job. He got him out of there but once that horse committed to go, he was able to just relax and track on the outside. He really had a good trip,” Capuano said.

“I wasn't sure [he won] because he had gone by that horse and that horse came back and looked like he had the jump on him,” he added. “The last couple jumps we just nosed him out. It was good horse race. You don't want to be on the losing end of that so I'm happy.”

Erawan was 3 ½ lengths behind Ain't Da Beer Cold in third, followed by Market Cap, Reassured, Brett's World and Twitty City.

Miss Leslie Steps Up in $100,000 Anne Arundel County
BB Horses' Miss Leslie, trying two turns for the first time in her stakes debut, emerged from a three-way photo finish a head in front of favored shipper The Grass Is Blue to capture the $100,000 Anne Arundel County.

Miss Leslie ($7), with Roimes Chirinos up, had never gone beyond six furlongs in her first four starts and was racing for the second time since being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Claudio Gonzalez Nov. 13. The win was the third straight overall for the daughter of G1 winner Paynter.

Breaking from Post 7, outside all but Buckey's Charm, Miss Leslie settled in fifth as 19-1 longshot Malibu Beauty led the way with splits of 24.24 seconds for a quarter-mile and 48.43 for the half. Chirinos swung Miss Leslie outside leaving the backstretch and had The Grass Is Blue on her right hip as they descended on Buckey's Charm, who raced greenly on the lead. The three hit the wire together with Miss Leslie in between horses.

Buckey's Charm was second, a head in front of The Grass Is Blue. It was 2 ¾ lengths back to Malibu Beauty in fourth. The winning time was 1:44.97 over a fast main track.

“We were talking about it in the paddock and she broke pretty good. I saved the most ground I could, and she was relaxed,” Chirinos said. “She wasn't scared at all. She was just fighting to take the lead and she fought pretty good.”

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