Three of the region’s four operating tracks ran yesterday, with Parx Racing the lone exception…

Trevor McCarthy was up to some unusual tricks (here) yesterday at Laurel Park.  Not only did the young apprentice score three times, but he also won the third, aboard Chi Chi’s Pride (4.40-1), after losing his irons shortly after leaving the starting gate.  Remarkably, he never regained them and still managed to pilot the son of B L’s Appeal to a rallying score for trainer John Salzman, Jr..  From the chart: “CHI CHI’S PRIDE raced three deep leaving the turn, advanced between horses in midstretch, continued his rally outside the leaders and was up at the wire under enthusiastic riding.”  He also won with maiden claimer Petie’s Boy (3-2) and Grace is a Beauty (2.30-1) and now has seven wins in the last two days…

In other rider news, Sheldon Russell posted his second consecutive two-win day, winning with Last Empire (5.80-1) and, in an allowance for three year-old fillies, with favored Inspired Say Eye (3-5)…

Bandbox, winner of the 2011 Private Terms at Laurel and second in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap in 2012, returned to the races yesterday after being laid off since August 2012.  The gray son of Tapit registered a useful return to the races — in a third-level allowance — for trainer Rodney Jenkins.  He finished third, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.  Freudian Dilemma (5-1) earned the victory under Forest Boyce…

Two riders had some afternoon success at Laurel and then a productive evening at Charles Town.  Jevian Toledo won the first at Laurel, with odds-on Red October, and then the fourth at Charles Town, aboard Spa Creek for trainer Jeff Runco.  Meanwhile, J.D. Acosta, who had a second and a third at Laurel, won two at Charles Town.  He took a state-bred allowance with Pub Pub Pub (6.90-1) for trainer Geoffrey Schneider and then steered Empress Hatshepsut (3.70-1) to win an allowance/optional claimer for trainer Javier Contreras…

Seetsang reared at the break of his January 9 start at Charles Town en route to finishing seventh.  He liked that so much that last night, in the eighth start of his career, he didn’t leave the gate at all…

Riders Andrew Wolfsont and Angel Rodriguez won two apiece at Penn National last night.  Rodriguez, a journeyman coming off by far the best year of his career in 2013 (128 wins and $2.6 million in purse earnings), leads the colony with nine wins in 2014.  Wolfsont stands fifth, with seven victories thus far…

Tunka (2.80-1) won the lone allowance on the card last night, a six furlong test for older fillies and mares.  The nicely bred mare — by Giant’s Causeway out of the stakes-placed Carson City mare Sacred Feather — broke her maiden at first asking at Churchill Downs in late 2011.  She then lost 11 consecutive times — finishing second or third in six of them — before breaking through last night with a rallying victory for trainer Michael Salvaggio…