Mopo Racing's Alwaysinahurry drove past Hello Hot Rod down the stretch Saturday to give trainer Phillip Capuano his first career stakes victory in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley at Laurel Park.
A 5-year-old son of Great Notion, Alwaysinahurry won the Concern Stakes in 2021 and Howard and Sondra Bender Stakes in November when trained by Dale Capuano, Phillip's retired uncle. Coming into the Whiteley, Alwaysinahurry had troubled trips in his three prior starts. But Saturday he had no problems driving outside Hello Hot Rod down the stretch under jockey Jorge Ruiz while covering seven furlongs in 1:24.05.
“He's definitely had a couple lackluster trips,” Capuano said. “The last start, on the inside, checked, swung six wide, came running at the end. But he always trains good and right there knocking on the door and today he burst through.”
On his first stakes victory, Capuano said, ““It's nice. I have so many people rooting for me. I wish I had the time to thank everybody. It feels good knowing that people want to see me succeed and do well. It's a humbling feeling, very humbling, and I'm very grateful for everything.”
“It's been such a blessing to have this opportunity for the owners Mopo to bestow this horse and everyone else upon me,” he continued. “I can't thank them enough. This horse has been training so good. It's just very humbling to have this opportunity and to win my first stakes.”
Off at 9-1, Alwaysinahurry was rated fifth early by jockey Jorge Ruiz past a :23.27 opening quarter behind the pacesetter Kenny Had a Notion. Hello Hot Rod took the lead entering the stretch from Kenny Had a Notion but Alwaysinahurry moved four wide entering the stretch and took a clear lead inside the final sixteenth, returning $19.20. Hello Hot Rod held second while Yodel E.A. Who was third and Bankit fourth. Witty was a late scratch.
The Whiteley honors the Centreville, Md. native best known as of the trainer of Ruffian, ranked among the greatest fillies of all time, as well as fellow superstars Damascus and Forego and 1965 Preakness winner Tom Rolfe. Whiteley joined Ruffian and Damascus in racing's Hall of Fame in 1978 and was followed by Forego in 1979. He retired in 1984 after a career spanning six decades and died in Camden, S.C. in 2008 at age 93.
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