No stakes in the mid-Atlantic this past weekend, but there was plenty of other racing news…
Early Triple Crown nominations came out, and among the 413 nominees are five bred in the mid-Atlantic who were also weighted on the Experimental Free Handicap (here). Among those are recent Miracle Wood Stakes winner Extrasexyhippzster, Irish-based West Virginia-bred Giovanni Boldini, and Virginia-bred Bond Holder, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile…
Trevor McCarthy won the first and last races of Saturday at Laurel to cap off a week in which he won nine times in three days at the track. Both of his Saturday wins were aboard favorites, and neither involved losing the irons, unlike one of his eventful Thursday wins (here)…
Another rider who enjoyed a multi-win Saturday at Laurel was Horacio Karamanos (here). The journeyman jock made his first two mounts of 2014 winning ones, bringing home Coco Punch (9.70-1) in a lifetime claimer and favored Tupancy Links, second in December’s Gin Talking Stakes, in an allowance/optional claimer. The three year-old filly ran down leader Bound on the money, getting up by a nose…
At Charles Town apprentice rider Christian Hiraldo enjoyed a career day on Saturday evening. The seven-pound apprentice won four times on the evening, twice for top trainer Jeff Runco. After finishing last aboard his first mount of the day, Hiraldo swept his next four, two in allowance company. His winners included What a Gift (1.10-1), Betty Portlock (3.90-1), Cat Thats Grey (7-2), and In Mid Heir (2-5). He now has 12 wins on the season and is second in that category at the track to J.D. Acosta, who has 15. Jevian Toledo is third, with 10 wins; he also has 10 at Laurel for a season total of 20…
Jeff Runco might have something in In Mid Heir. The four year-old daughter of Wildcat Heir won at first asking — back in May — by over 11 lengths, which is quite a gap in a 4 1/2 furlong race. Away until Saturday, she returned with a sharp five-length score against allowance foes in a quick 51.38 seconds. For comparison purposes, an allowance for three year-old fillies two races earlier went in 52.82 seconds…
Nice-looking maiden score for Ifyougotthenotion at Penn National on Saturday evening. The three year-old Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Great Notion out of the unraced Awesome Again mare Code Variance, dusted a field of state-bred maidens by three lengths “under mild encouragement,” according to the chart. She’s trained by John Servis and was ridden in the race, the first of her career, by Eswan Flores. The running time was 1:12.28 for six furlongs; older $25,000 maiden fillies and mares two races earlier took two more seconds to complete the same distance…
The same owner-trainer combo — John Servis and owners S. M. D. Ltd. — teamed up to take another Saturday maiden special event for state-breds, this at Parx Racing with Charm City Dancer. Sent off as the 2.10-1 favorite, the daughter of Great Notion won by four lengths and now has a win and a second from five career starts…
Trainer Guadalupe Preciado registered two Saturday wins at Parx, taking a lifetime claimer with Super Slam (1.10-1) and the nightcap, a maiden claimer, with Rovin Man (2.20-1)…
Three different riders had doubles on Sunday at Parx: Jose Delgadillo, Roberto Alvarado Jr., and Pablo Fragoso…
(Featured image, of Horacio Karamanos, by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.)
