It was something of a tough weekend for Midlantic-breds in graded company this weekend, as several who had received votes in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll came away empty-handed against tough competition.  Their number included:

  • Go Blue or Go Home, 5th in the Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland
  • Havelock, 7th as the favorite in the Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland
  • Emotional Kitten, 4th (beaten just 3/4 of a length) in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland
  • Kitten’s Point, 7th in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland
  • Zeewat, 6th in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande at Santa Anita
  • Extrasexyhippzster, 11th in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland

Closer to home…

  • Nine different jockeys and nine different trainers visited the winner’s circle Saturday at Charles Town.  Red Vixen, with Clifford Dooley up, took the featured allowance optional claimer for trainer Ernest Haynes.  Sent off at 9-5, she posted a one-length victory after getting 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:20.37.
  • Penn National saw nearly the same sort of wealth-spreading, as nine trainers and eight jockeys won Saturday’s nine races.  Rider Dana Whitney, with wins in the first and the eighth, was the only rider to double.  Whitney ranks fourth in the colony with 28 wins, five behind leader David Cora.
  • Engine, a son of Mineshaft trained by Chad Brown for Robert LaPenta, shipped to Parx on Saturday to break his maiden in a special weight event.  He won by a half-length under rider Alex Cintron in a moderate 1:40.09 for a mile and now has a record of 5-1-1-1.  On Sunday, trainer Michael Pino registered consecutive wins in the seventh and eighth races.
  • Trainer Tim Keefe and rider Sheldon Russell each registered three wins on Saturday at Pimlico.  The two paired up to take the second with Respectful Ed and the nightcap with It’s My Perogative.  The day’s impressive winners included Recoupe, who broke his maiden nicely sprinting on the turf, opening up a long lead and coasting home in 58 1/5 for five furlongs; and Talk Show Man, who won a second-level allowance on the turf, getting a mile in 1:36 4/5 and winning by two-and-change.
  • Pimlico’s Sunday card saw a pair of firsts: Bug rider Cecily Evans scored her first win 2014, the seventh of her career, when she took the first race for trainer Keisy Cartagena aboard Thanksforthedrink in a nickel claiming event.  Two races later, trainer Kelly Rubley earned the first win of her career when Hare Forest Farm’s St. Albans Boy caught favored Star Crossed Lover late to win a maiden special weight event on the grass.

(Featured image by Laurie Asseo.)