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Street Lute Seeks Redemption in Miss Preakness

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute (Street Magician) looks to rebound off a third as the 3-5 favorite in Laurel's Beyond The Wire S. Mar. 13 and gain her first graded score in the GIII Miss Preakness S. at Old Hilltop Friday. Reeling off five straight wins from last November through February, including the Laurel's six-furlong Xtra Heat S. in January followed by the seven panel Wide Country S. Feb. 20, the chestnut tried a mile for the first time in the Beyond The Wire, but tired late to finish third, beaten five lengths.

“I've always felt she was a better sprinter. We tried her long just because there was nowhere else to run and you've got to find out sooner or later,” trainer John 'Jerry' Robb said. “There's a lot of really nice fillies in here. This will be her biggest test, yet I'm sure. You couldn't work any better, you couldn't go into it any better, and we've got home field advantage.”

Robb opted to bypass the 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss S. Apr. 24 and point for the Miss Preakness instead. The filly posted her most recent breeze May 7, going four furlongs in a bullet :46.80 seconds, the fastest of 35 horses going that distance at Pimlico that day.

Doug Scharbauer's Red Ghost (Ghostzapper) kicked off her career in style, winning by 8 1/2 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong off-turf test at the Spa last August but failed to handle the transition to the sod and had to settle for seventh in the Sept. 15 Untapable S. over 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs. Returned to the dirt last time, the Wesley Ward trainee came from off the pace to win at six-furlong Keeneland allowance Apr. 16. John Velazquez, who was aboard last time, returns to the saddle Friday.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, who won the 2020 Miss Preakness with Wicked Whisper, return this year Abrogate (Outwork), half-length winner of the six-furlong Purple Martin S. Apr. 3 at Oaklawn. Last time out, she ran fifth by 2 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong GII Eight Belles S. Apr. 30.

“She chased a pretty fast pace in her last race. They went 1:09 for the three-quarters,” Alex Lieblong said. “She was there most of the time right up with the leaders, and it was a quick one. She might be just a six-furlong horse.”

The winner of her first two starts, including a muddy allowance score in Hot Springs Jan. 24, the dark bay finished third in a sloppy renewal of the Dixie Belle S. Feb. 28.

“It's a little quick back,” said Steve Asmussen's assistant, Scott Blasi of the quick turnaround from the Eight Belles, “but she'll appreciate shortening up.”

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Knicks Go Named 2020 Maryland-Bred Horse Of The Year

The fourth annual Renaissance Awards, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club, which recognizes excellence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Maryland in the past year, went virtual this year.

Throughout the week of Feb. 22, awards were presented through the MHBA's social media accounts to the top Maryland owner, trainer, jockey, breeder, broodmare and stallion, Backstretch Workers of the Year, one for Pimlico Race Course and one for Laurel Park, MTHA's Unsung Hero, as well as the champion Maryland-breds of 2020.

Record-breaking Grade 1 winner Knicks Go took home top honors as Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male.

Owned by Korea Racing Authority and trained by Brad H. Cox, Knicks Go capped off an impressive year by breaking the track record at Keeneland with his victory in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, notching his second Grade 1 victory by 3 1/2 lengths as he stopped the clock in 1:33.85. He went into the Breeders' Cup after securing a 10 1/4-length victory in a 1 1/16 mile allowance at Keeneland, where he broke the track record in 1:40.79, which was preceded by an allowance victory at Oaklawn Park in February. A perfect three for three in 2020, the son of Paynter earned $608,440.

Knicks Go, bred by Angie Moore, was sold as a weanling for $40,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, and later purchased for $87,000 as a yearling by Korea Racing Authority at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. Only the fifth Maryland-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race, his share of the purse ($520,000) propelled him beyond the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Other divisional champions:

Champion 2-year-old male: Jaxon Traveler (dk.b./br.c., 2018, by Munnings—Listen Boy, by After Market). Bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau; owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner; trained by Steven M. Asmussen.

Champion 2-year-old filly: Street Lute (ch. f., 2018, by Street Magician—Alottalute, by Midnight Lute). Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman; owned by Lucky 7 Stables; trained by John J. Robb.

Champion 3-year-old male: Field Pass (gr./ro.c, 2017, by Lemon Drop Kid—Only Me, by Runaway Groom). Bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm; trained by Michael J. Maker.

Champion 3-year-old filly and champion turf runner: Sharing (ch.f., 2017, by Speightstown—Shared Account, by Pleasantly Perfect). Bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); trained by H. Graham Motion.

Champion older female: Never Enough Time (dk.b./br.m., 2016, by Munnings—What Time It Is, by Partner's Hero). Bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson; trained by Michael J. Trombetta.

Champion sprinter: Laki (ch.g., 2013, by Cuba—Truthful Dutch, by Swear by Dixie). Bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows; trained by Damon R. Dilodovico.

Also presented were the annual breeder, stallion and broodmare of the year awards. Angie Moore, breeder of 2020 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male Knicks Go, was crowned the Maryland Breeder of the Year, while Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC and Hillwood Stable LLC's Love's Reason, dam of 2019 Maryland-bred champion older female Majestic Reason, won Maryland Broodmare of the Year and Northview Stallion Station's Great Notion took home the title of Maryland Stallion of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.

Other award winners for 2020 include Robert Bone, Maryland Owner of the Year; Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland Trainer of the Year; Trevor McCarthy, Maryland Jockey of the Year. Edgar Gallegos was honored as the Pimlico Backstretch Worker of the Year, while Antonio Lopez Salazar earned the title of Laurel Backstretch Employee of the Year, and jockey Victor Carrasco was recognized as the MTHA's Unsung Hero.

Watch the video announcements for each champion and award winner here

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Knicks Go Named Maryland’s 2020 HOTY

Presented virtually the week of Feb. 22, the fourth annual Renaissance Awards, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club, was highlighted by Knicks Go (Paynter) earning the title of Maryland Horse of the Year and champion older horse for the 2020 season. Owned by Korea Racing Authority and trained by Brad H. Cox, the grey capped off an impressive year with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November. He is only the fifth Maryland-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race.

Other Divisional champions:

Champion 2-year-old male: Jaxon Traveler (Munnings).

Bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau; owned by West Point Tbreds & Marvin Delfiner; trained by Steven M. Asmussen.

Champion 2-year-old filly: Street Lute (Street Magician).

Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman; owned by Lucky 7 Stables; trained by John J. Robb.

Champion 3-year-old male: Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid).

Bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm; trained by Michael J. Maker.

Champion 3-year-old filly and champion turf runner: Sharing (Speightstown).

Bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); trained by H. Graham Motion.

Champion older female: Never Enough Time (Munnings).

Bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson; trained by Michael J. Trombetta.

Champion sprinter: Laki (Cuba).

Bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows; trained by Damon R. Dilodovico.

Also earning an award, Angie Moore, breeder of 2020 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and champion older male Knicks Go, was crowned the Maryland Breeder of the Year, while Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC and Hillwood Stable LLC's Love's Reason, dam of 2019 Maryland-bred champion older female Majestic Reason, won Maryland Broodmare of the Year and Northview Stallion Station's Great Notion took home the title of Maryland Stallion of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.

To watch the video announcements for each category, visit www.MarylandThoroughbred.com.

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Maythehorsebwithu, Street Lute Score Stakes Victories At Laurel

Maythehorsebwithu, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables LLC, led every step of the way Saturday to win the $100,000 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park in Maryland by four lengths while covering a mile in 1:37.02.

Tiz Mandate, who broke last, closed to finish second, just a half-length in front of Spectacular Bid winner Kenny Had a Notion.

The Miracle Wood was one of six stakes run on the afternoon worth $900,000 along with the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) and General George (G3).

Second last time out in the Spectacular Bid at seven furlongs after rating off Kenny Had a Notion, Maythehorsebwithu, trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russell, broke sharp and on top in the five-horse field and went an opening quarter in :24.02 and a half in :47.51 while being pressed by Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Subsidize while Kenny Had a Notion raced third. Around the turn, Kenny Had a Notion moved inside Subsidize into second took aim on the leader. But Maythehorsebwithu had plenty left and drove to the finish for his first stakes victory.

“My horse broke very sharp today and he's a forward kind of horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “Last time I sort of broke on Kenny's hip. But the way my guy broke today I had no choice. I was inside Kenny. We didn't have any problems with this horse getting the distance. He trains in the morning like he'll run all day. I'm just glad we got the job done.”

A son of Bullsbay who sold for $55,000 as a yearling, Maythehorsebwithu has won three of seven starts along with three seconds.

Maythehorsebwithu winning the Miracle Wood under Sheldon Russell

“He's the kind of horse in the morning that always trains very forwardly,” Brittany Russell said. “You can't get this horse tired, and he always has big, huge gallop-outs after his breezes, so we were pretty confident that he would appreciate added distance.

“Seeing what happened in the Spectacular Bid in the stretch run, I was confident that if he got the right trip he could definitely get the mile.”

Subsidize, who shipped in from the New York stable of Chad Brown, finished fourth while Newyearsblockparty, second in the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 16, finished fifth.

Street Lute Makes It Five in a Row in Wide Country
The wins just keep piling up for the impressive Street Lute.

Owned by Lucky 7 Stable and trained by John Robb, Street Lute won her fifth consecutive stakes races and seventh race in eight starts when she moved three-wide at the top of the stretch to win the $100,000 Wide Country by a length over Fraudulent Charge. Salt Plage checked in third.

A daughter of Street Magician ridden by Xavier Perez, Street Lute covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.59.

“From the beginning we all thought she was a very special horse and I think that Jerry's said that in every interview,” said Gina Robb, assistant, and wife of John Robb. “Now with so many stakes under her belt and her performance today, I think she's finally stamped it. Today was definitely a big day and I think it was her toughest company today.”

Breaking alertly from the gate, Perez rated Street Lute in third while Little Huntress was pressed by Whiskey and Rye through brisk fractions of 22:62 and :441.91. But around the turn, Street Lute carried Perez effortlessly to the front and drove away from the competition as Fraudulent Charge closed for the place.

“My concern when I was watching the race was, I said, 'Wow, I don't feel like he's asking her but she's not going anywhere. They must be flying.' So, when I saw the 44 [second half-mile] I said, 'Oh, thank goodness.' Then once he asked her, it was all over,” Gina Robb said. “Able to chase that pace and finish the way she did? That was pretty spectacular.”

“Seven-eighths today, in great fashion. I think it was even better than the day she won the Maryland Juvenile [Filly Championship going] seven-eighths. I think she kind of proved a point today.”

Said Perez: “She likes running after horses up front. I saw Brittany's horse go and we settled in nice. This race set up perfect for us just like Jerry said. I was so confident off the turn we were cruising to the wire.”

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