- Galiana — Dashing Beauty S. (DEL)
- Trained and owned by Rodolfo Romero
- Gamay Noir — G3 Obeah S. (DEL)
- Trained by Martin Wolfson for Chasing Tail Stables
- Down Town Allen — Fancy Buckles S. (CT)
- Trained and owned by John A. Casey, and bred by him in West Virginia
- Saintly Joan — Little Silver S. (MTH)
- Trained by Patrick McBurney for Steven Bajer, GEM Inc., and Dustin O’Hara
- Bump Start — Danzig S. (PEN)
- Trained by Kellyn Gorder for TK Stables LLC; bred in Pennsylvania by John P. Hicks, William Hart, and Henry Higgitt
- Raging Smoke — New Start S. (PEN)
- Trained by Bernie Houghton for Harry Nye; bred in Pennsylvania by Tom McClay and Harry Nye
- Silent Appeal — Dan Horn H. (MTH)
- Trained by Claudio Gonzalez for Kasey Two Racing LLC; bred in New Jersey by Bright View Farm Inc.
- Albano — G3 Pegasus S. (MTH)
- Trained by Larry Jones for Brereton Jones[/boxify]
It was a busy weekend in the mid-Atlantic region.
- Trainer Larry Jones’s two stakes runners had nearly opposite results: in the G3 Pegasus at Monmouth, Albano, bet down to 6-5 after the scratch of Uncle Sigh, obliterated the field by more than six lengths and is likely pointed at the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. On the other hand, back at Jones’s home base of Delaware Park, Blue Violet ran seventh of eight in the Grade 3 Obeah, a race that Jones had hoped would label her a Grade 1 Delaware Handicap contender.
- In the Obeah, Gamay Noir passed ’em all, rallying from last to edge Winter Melody winner Montana Native by a half-length. It was the second grade 3 win of the four year-old filly’s career — both in her last three starts.
- At Charles Town, the expected showdown between Down Town Allen and Jax and Jill didn’t amount to much of a showdown at all. Sent off at 1-2 in the Fancy Buckles Stake, Down Town Allen sped to the early lead and didn’t look back, cruising to a four-length win. It was the seven year-old Windsor Castle mare’s fifth straight win overall, as well as the third straight year she has taken this event. Jax and Jill faded to fourth. Down Town Allen now has a record of 38-22-5-4 with earnings of $872,667.
- In Penn National’s New Start for state-bred fillies, Raging Smoke made the early advantage under pressure and had just enough to hold off Queen to Be and favored Pixie Dust; the place and show horses were a head apart, both 3/4 of a length behind the winner. Raging Smoke, a three year-old More Smoke filly, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.54 — a full second faster than Bump Start, who won the Danzig for three year-old boys just two races prior.
- No runners from the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll were in action this weekend.
(Featured image, of Albano winning the G3 Pegasus S. at Monmouth, by Bill Denver/Equi-Photo.)
