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Entries Strong For MATCH Series Kickoff At Pimlico

The eighth edition of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH) begins May 14-15 at Pimlico Race Course with large, competitive fields that include more than a few local horses that figure to play a role in the outcome of the four divisions in the 2021 series.

Purses for the four MATCH stakes that are part of Preakness weekend total $650,000. They are the $250,000 Grade 3 Pimlico Special (3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division) and $150,000 Grade 3 Allaire DuPont (Filly and Mare Long—Dirt division) Friday, May 14, and the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division) and $100,000 Runhappy Skipat (Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division) Saturday, May 15.

MATCH returns to the calendar this year after a one-year cancellation because of COVID-19 restrictions. Though there will be six stakes in each of four divisions this year, 20 of the 24 stakes will be run in Maryland and the other four at Colonial Downs in Virginia.

The Maryland Sprint Handicap at six furlongs has drawn Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki, a local favorite and two-time MATCH divisional champion in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division in 2018 and 2019. He has won 11 races—seven of them stakes including the Grade 3 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash—and in his last start, which produced a win in the Frank Whiteley Stakes at Pimlico, the 8-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Cuba topped the $800,000 mark in earnings. Twenty-seven of Laki's 33 starts have come in Maryland.

“He came out of his last race really well,” trainer Damon Dilodovico said. “I don't like running him back so quickly—the Whiteley was moved back a week—but everybody is navigating these things. We'll be able to ship up to Pimlico (from Laurel) early and train him there.

“If we could add another graded stakes to his resume that would be awesome. The horse doesn't owe us a thing. We are fans of the MATCH Series and we hoped to have other horses for it this year but things didn't work out.”

Horacio Karamanos, who has ridden Laki in many of his races, will have the mount.

Euro Stable's Lebda, trained by Claudio Gonzalez, finished a half-length behind Laki in the Frank Whiteley and has settled in as a sprinter after having run long as a 3-year-old. Gonzalez, who won a MATCH Series division with the turf sprinter Completed Pass, indicated Lebda may target the local sprint stakes this year.

Entered in the Skipat, also at six furlongs, is Five Hellions Farm's Dontletsweetfoolya, who rattled off five consecutive victories—two in stakes—at Laurel Park before a seventh-place finish in the Grade III Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel in her most recent start in February. Trained by Lacey Gaudet, the 4-year-old Stay Thirsty filly who likes to run on the lead has won five of nine starts and more than $200,000.

Pennsylvania-bred Chub Wagon, owned by Danny Lopez and George Chestnut, enters the Skipat a perfect five-for-five with a total win margin of more than 31 lengths. In her last start April 27 at Parx Racing, where she is based with trainer Guadalupe Preciado, Chub Wagon won the state-restricted Unique Bella Stakes at seven furlongs by 7 1/2 lengths in her first start in stakes company. She has had the lead at every call in all five of her races.

The Allaire DuPont at 1 1/8 miles has attracted Horologist, the New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year for 2020. The multiple graded-stakes winner owned by There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher won the Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct Racetrack in her last start.

Allen Stable's Mrs. Danvers and Sonata Stable's Lucky Stride, second and third, respectively, behind Horologist in New York, will also compete in the Allaire DuPont. Lucky Stride, trained by Mike Trombetta at the Fair Hill Training Center, has done well in Maryland with a second in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes last November and a victory in the Nellie Morse Stakes in late February.

“Our intent is to race in the Allaire DuPont and take it from there,” Trombetta said of potential starts in future MATCH Series races. “I think she is the kind of horse that can run in more of these races, so we'll see what happens.”

BB Horses' Landing Zone, second to Lucky Stride in the Nellie Morse and entered in the Allaire DuPont, is one of several horses trainer Gonzalez has entered Preakness weekend that could very well could target MATCH Series events through the course of the year.

In 2020, the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special was run in October, and Hillwood Stables' Maryland-bred gelding Cordmaker finished third. In the 2019 Pimlico Special, he rallied from 10th on the final turn and was a fast-closing third. Trainer Rodney Jenkins has again entered the nine-time winner of almost $600,000 in the Special.

Cordmaker in his last start went gate-to-wire in the 1 1/8-mile Harrison Johnson Memorial Stakes at Laurel in mid-March. His last two works at Pimlico at five furlongs have been the fastest of the day. All but three of his 28 starts have come in Maryland.

“His last two works were very good, he looks very good, and he feels very good,” said jockey Victor Carrasco, who was aboard for the Pimlico works and has regularly ridden Cordmaker in his races. “The Pimlico Special is not an easy race, but he's in good form. We're all hoping for the best. I'd like to thank Mr. Jenkins, because this horse is very special to me.”

Owners and trainers will compete for $63,000 in divisional bonuses and the overall MATCH Series champion will net $30,000 in bonuses for its owner and trainer. In addition, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association will pay a $3,000 bonus to the breeder of the top points-earning Maryland-bred and $3,000 for the top points-earning Maryland-sired horse. If the top points-earner is both Maryland-bred and -sired, the breeder would get $6,000.

After Preakness weekend, the next MATCH Series stakes will be held June 13 at Pimlico.

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Hapers First Ride Returns With New Connections For 2021 Pimlico Special

His owner, trainer and jockey will be different, but the scenery will be the same for Harpers First Ride when the defending champion returns to the site of his biggest victory in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) Friday at Pimlico Race Course.

The 51st running of the Pimlico Special, on the eve of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1), is one of six stakes, four graded, worth $1 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race card headlined by the 97th running of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Other graded stakes on the program are the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs, and $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles. Rounding out the stakes action are a pair of turf events, the $100,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies at one mile, and $100,000 The Very One, a five-furlong dash for females 3 and older.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Harpers First Ride had raced five straight times in Maryland with wins in the Deputed Testamony, Pimlico Special, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer to cap his 4-year-old campaign when he was sold by owner-trainer Claudio Gonzalez prior to a start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, won by Knicks Go.

GTMP Stables, Arnold Bennewith and Cypress Creek Equine moved the Paynter gelding to trainer Robertino Diodoro in the Midwest, where he finished fourth in the March 13 Essex Handicap and third in a 1 ½-mile allowance April 11, both at Oaklawn Park under Diodoro's go-to rider, David Cohen.

“We had some issues with his feet, and we got those fixed up,” Diodoro said. “To be honest, this is the best he's been doing since we've had him. He's doing really well. He worked really good at Churchill. Ever since we got some different shoes on him, the last couple of weeks he's been like a completely different horse. We're actually pretty excited about next Friday.”

According to Diodoro, the 1:03 official time for Harpers First Ride's five-furlong work May 7 was misleading. The trainer said the horse actually worked seven-eighths of a mile, a move designed to continue past the wire and into the turn.

“David Cohen and I were talking that the time is definitely deceiving,” he said. “He did it very well. I would read absolutely nothing into the time.… I think we had the horse maybe 80, 90 percent the last couple of times. I feel like we've got him 100 percent now.”

Cohen will ride back from Post 7 in a field of 11 at 122 pounds.

Also returning from last year's Pimlico Special are Forewarned and Cordmaker.

Trin-Brook Stables, Inc.'s Forewarned, a 6-year-old Flat Out gelding, is a three-time stakes winner against fellow Ohio-breds who ran third in the Westchester (G3) last summer at Belmont Park and was fifth in the 2019 Whitney (G1) and Woodward (G1) as well as the Pimlico Special. He carries topweight of 126 pounds including 2020 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice Alexander Crispin from Post 3.

Hillwood Stable's multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred Cordmaker is making his third straight appearance in the Pimlico Special, having run third by two necks in 2019 and 2 ½ lengths in 2020. Last year's race came during a career-long winless drought for Cordmaker of 10 races spanning more than 17 months. Second or third in six of those starts, all of them in stakes, he returned to the winner's circle with a front-running one-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Harrison E. Johnson Memorial March 13 at Laurel Park.

“It had to be good for him because it got him more confidence. He ran a really nice race. We hope between that and the way he's been training that he's up to this,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “He's doing really well. The horse is probably has never done better in his life than he's doing now … I hope he runs as good as he's training.”

Regular rider Victor Carrasco has the call from Post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen won the 2019 Pimlico Special with Tenfold, who ran fourth last year in his title defense. Asmussen returns this year with George Hall and BLX Thoroughbreds Corp.'s Max Player, racing for the first time since running 11th in the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20.

Max Player won the Withers (G3) in his third career start last February, then ran third in the Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) and fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) during a Triple Crown trail reshuffled amid the coronavirus pandemic. He came to Baltimore for the Preakness (G1), where he rallied to be fifth behind filly Swiss Skydiver.

“Physically, he's as good as he's ever been,” Asmussen's assistant, Scott Blasi, said. “His works have been solid. It should be a good spot for him. And, the Special has been good to us.”

Ricardo Santana Jr. will be aboard from Post 5 for Asmussen, who also won the then-Grade 1 Pimlico Special with Student Council in 2008.

Newly elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, trainer Todd Pletcher will be going after his third Pimlico Special victory after winning previously in successive years with Revolutionary (2014) and Commissioner (2015). His candidate this year is WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Fearless, winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) Feb. 27 in his first start in eight months. Last time out, he rallied to be second by a half-length to Silver State in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 17.

“[He's doing] very good,” Pletcher said. “He was very good in his first start and just missed in his second. He seems to be in good form.”

Three-time defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has the assignment from Post 2.

Trainer Mike Maker will send out the pair of Last Judgment and Treasure Trove. Michael Dubb, Steve Hornstock, Bethlehem Stables and Nice Guys Stables' Last Judgment has two wins from four starts this year, both in Florida – the 1 1/8-mile Sunshine Classic Jan. 16 at Gulfstream and the 1 1/16-mile Challenger (G3) March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs. Most recently he was second after setting the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Ghostzapper (G3) March 27 at Gulfstream.

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Treasure Trove was claimed for $40,000 out of a win last fall at Indiana Downs. Though he has gone winless in five tries since, three of his losses have been by less than three lengths including a three-quarter-length loss when fifth in the 1 1/8-mile Ben Ali (G3) April 10 at Keeneland, his most recent start. He was fourth by 2 ¼ lengths in the 1 ½-mile Temperence Hill March 13 at Oaklawn.

“We should be well-represented there,” Maker said. “Treasure Trove got beat maybe three-quarters of a length in the Ben Ali and ran last, had a wide trip … He ran fourth in the mile-and-a-half at Oaklawn, got beat a couple of lengths. The race before in an allowance race there, he came up the rail and had to take up a little and wait and just got beat.”

Jose Ortiz will ride Last Judgment from outside Post 11, while Luis Saez has the call on Treasure Trove from Post 9.

Pam and Martin Wygod's Modernist is a two-time graded-stakes winner, having taken the 2020 Risen Star (G2) and the 1 1/8-mile Excelsior (G3) April 3 at Aqueduct last time out. Junior Alvarado rides from Post 1 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, whose lone previous Pimlico Special victory came with Hall of Famer Cigar in 1995.

Completing the field are multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining; 2020 Lecomte (G3) winner Enforceable, third by a half-length in the New Orleans Classic (G2) March 20; and Prioritize, third in the 2020 Woodward (G1) and unraced since running fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last October.

The Pimlico Special was created in 1937 by Alfred Vanderbilt, the master of Sagamore Farm, as the first major stakes in the United States set up as an invitational, and was won by Triple Crown champion War Admiral. The following year, War Admiral was upset by Seabiscuit in what Sports Illustrated called the 'Race of the Century.'

Revived in 1988 by late Maryland Jockey Club president Frank De Francis, the Special's illustrious roster of winners also includes Triple Crown winners Whirlaway, Citation and Assault, and modern-day Horses of the Year Criminal Type, Cigar, Skip Away, Mineshaft and Invasor.

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Howell: The High Maintenance Moniker Is Unfair — And Untrue — For OTTBs

While off-track thoroughbreds (OTTBs) have gained increasing popularity among amateur and professional sport horse riders in recent years, there are still some who avoid them. Allison Howell, a 2016 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover competitor, writes in The Plaid Horse that one of the reasons is that people sometimes perceive the breed to be “high maintenance” which she finds unfair.

All performance horses are high maintenance, Howell says, but she notes that for OTTBs to have homes prepared for their needs and successful second careers, their owners must be honest about the horses themselves – including how they are both similar and dissimilar to other breeds. Retraining a retired racehorse can take a lot of time, effort and talent, but in many ways, they are just like every other breed of horse.

It's not unusual for upper-level athletes to have custom tack, long and involved grooming sessions, alternative therapy treatment and many other methods to keep them feeling their best. Few horses, no matter their breed or discipline, thrive in a heavy training program with just minimum care, Howell says – Thoroughbreds are not the anomaly in this respect.

Yes, it sometimes feels like a fresh off-the-track horse is a ticking time bomb between disasters … but truly: what horse isn't?” she writes. “If you think about all the people you know who have experienced heartache right before a show, clinic or big event, I think you'd find that it happens to every horseman, in every discipline, with every breed.”

Irish Derby Winner Sovereign To Make U.S. Debut In Saturday’s Man O’ War

Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Group 1-winner Sovereign will make his first start in North America against a competitive field which includes four other graded/grouped stakes winners in Saturday's 63rd running of the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o' War going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf for older horses at Belmont Park.

The Man o' War, NYRA's first Grade 1 turf stakes of the year, honors Samuel D. Riddle's all-time great, who was voted by multiple publications as the greatest racehorse of the 20th century. The champion's notable accomplishments include victories in the Preakness, Belmont Stakes, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in 1920. Perhaps the crowning moment of his career took place when defeating 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race at the now defunct Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario. A winner of 20 of his 21 lifetime starts, Man o' War's lone defeat took place in the 1919 Sanford, which he lost to the ironically-named Upset.

Sovereign will make his United States debut for trainer Chad Brown after being formerly campaigned by Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien. The son of international champion sire Galileo led from gate-to-wire to capture the Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh in 2019 by six lengths over former stablemates Anthony Van Dyck and Norway.

Winless in five starts since the Irish Derby, Sovereign finished second to dual Cartier Horse of the Year Enable in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in July 2020 at Ascot. Not short on mileage, he arrives at the Man o' War off a close third in the Bahrain International Trophy on November 20.

Sovereign has been in a consistent work pattern since first breezing under Brown's care in late February. He most recently went five furlongs over the Belmont inner turf in 1:02.54 on Sunday.

“We received him over the winter at Payson Park and he's settled into a nice work pattern,” said Brown, who trained 2016 Man o' War hero Wake Forest. “He came over very sound, and in great shape from Aidan. He sure trains like a horse with a lot of quality. I've seen him train on firm ground in Florida and he's fine with it. He can handle some cut in the ground.”

Sovereign, who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., typically showed early speed in his races in Europe, and Brown said he expects the horse to be forwardly-placed on Saturday as well.

“I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel with him, so if he has speed, I wouldn't take that away from him,” Brown said. “He's pretty forward in his breezes. He grabs the bit and goes on. If he breaks well and Irad wants to put him on the front, I would be happy with that.”

Brown is closing in on 100 graded stakes wins at Belmont Park, currently boasting a total of 97 graded stakes wins at the historic track. On Saturday, he also will also saddle Nay Lady Nay and Lemista in the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay, as well as Risk Taking in the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan.

“I'm extremely grateful and humbled to be at this point in my career already. I'm extremely happy to share this with my team,” Brown said. “It's been extremely rewarding to watch over the last almost 15 years, to see all of the teamwork, and great horses come through the barn, and all the sacrifices that people have made.”

Bred in Ireland by Barronstown Stud, Sovereign is out of the Danehill Dancer mare Devoted To You. The lone millionaire in the field, Sovereign boasts lifetime earnings of $1,149,940.

Sovereign will break from post 1.

Never worse than third in eight lifetime starts, Otter Bend Stables' Gufo will look to put his best foot forward in his 2021 debut for trainer Christophe Clement, while bragging a consistent 8-5-1-2 record.

The son of Declaration of War was a late-closing third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, where he came from last-of-11 and made a surging move in the stretch to finish a neck to next-out winners Domestic Spending and Smooth Like Strait.

Gufo returns to Belmont Park for his first start since capturing the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational at ten furlongs on October 3. Prior to his breakthrough win, he made deep-closing winning moves in the English Channel last May at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Kent on July 4 at Delaware Park.

Gufo, who had been training at Payson Park in Indiantown, Florida, shipped into Belmont and recorded a five-furlong work in 1:00.76 on the inner turf on Sunday.

“He had a nice work on Sunday morning and we're looking forward to running him in the Man o' War,” said Clement, who saddled Gio Ponti to back-to-back Man o' War scores in 2009-10. “He came out of it very well and I was very pleased with it.”

Gufo will be piloted by Joel Rosario, a two-time winner of the Man o' War, from post 8.

Wertheimer and Frere's Ziyad has been third in a trio of North American starts but seeks his first Grade 1 victory in his third start for trainer Graham Motion.

He made his debut for his current trainer in the Grade 3 Sycamore on October 15 at Keeneland, finishing two lengths to Red Knight before coming ten lengths off the pace to finish a half-length shy of North Dakota in the Grade 3 Red Smith on November 21 at Aqueduct.

The 6-year-old son of Rock of Gibraltar previously raced in France for Carlos Laffon-Parias, for whom he ran third in the Grade 1 Canadian International in October 2019 at Woodbine after setting an easy pace, only to get outkicked by Desert Encounter.

When racing in France, he kept salty competition, finishing a neck shy of victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud two years in a row, losing to accomplished runners Coronet and Way to Paris.

“I think he's pretty adaptable,” said Motion, who won the 2005 Man o' War with Better Talk Now. “He came to me straight from France to Keeneland last fall, so I didn't have much time to get to know him before his race there. Now that I've had him for a while, I've gotten to know him quite better. He's a very straightforward horse that's been training very well this year so far. I feel that he's ready for a race like this. On his form he's competitive against this group.”

Manny Franco retains the mount from post 3.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat nears millionaire status while attempting a fourth stakes victory. The son of English Channel trained by Jack Sisterson has not won since going gate-to-wire in the Grade 2 Bowling Green in July 2019 at Saratoga, and was most recently second in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 17 at Keeneland.

Channel Cat has put together a record of 25-5-3-5, with earnings of $998,522 and will leave from post 5 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Three Diamonds Farm's three-time graded stakes winner Field Pass will look to give trainer Mike Maker his first Man o' War victory.

During his sophomore season, the son of Lemon Drop Kid captured a trio of Grade 3 events, including the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park and the Ontario Derby at Woodbine over all weather surfaces, as well as the Grade 3 Transylvania over the Keeneland turf. He will see a considerable stretch-out in distance after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on April 9 at Keeneland.

Jockey Luis Saez will ride Field Pass from post 7.

After capturing the Man o' War 32 years apart with Theatrical [1987] and Channel Maker [2019], Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sends out three-time winner Moon Over Miami.

Owned by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, Moon Over Miami arrives at the Man o' War off a pair of graded stakes placings over firm turf at Gulfstream Park, where he was third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmada on February 27 and second in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 27.

The son of Malibu Moon began his career over the main track, breaking his maiden at second asking by five lengths in November 2019 at Aqueduct. After defeating winners in his third start on grass, Mott kept the bay 4-year-old colt on turf and earned a stakes win in the Dueling Grounds Derby on September 10 at Kentucky Downs.

“He's held up pretty well for what we've done with him,” Mott said. “We've realized that he does want to run on and go a little further. We've discovered that he does that pretty well and is better at the staying distances than he is at the middle distances.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado will pilot Moon Over Miami from post 2.

Donegal Racing's Shamrocket will receive some added distance when breaking from post 6 for newly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. The son of third-crop sire Tonalist was a close second against Florida-breds going nine furlongs in the Turf Classic on March 28 at Tampa Bay Downs.

On the board in each start except for his career debut, Shamrocket earned an open company stakes-placing in the Dueling Grounds Derby finishing 4 ½ lengths to Moon Over Miami. He then followed up with a three-quarter length triumph over Florida-bred winners in his sophomore finale on December 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Shamrocket will be ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Rounding out the field is Knight R.B. Stables' So High [Eric Cancel, post 4] for trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul, who is no stranger to upsetting Grade 1 turf events on the NYRA circuit, having captured the 2011 Manhattan with Mission Approved.

The Man o' War is slated as Race 10 on Belmont's 11-race Saturday program. First post is 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

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