Start Puffing gets there first under Vanessa Ryall at 86-1. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Kenneth Taylor et al’s Start Puffing flew home down the lane to post a surprising victory at odds of 86-1 in today’s eighth race at Laurel Park.
Start Puffing registered her second lifetime win in six starts, this time beating $25,000 2-year-old claiming fillies. The daughter of Jump Start was last coming into the stretch and had only two fillies beaten a furlong from home, but apprentice Vanessa Ryall had her up in time to nip One Massive Cat by a neck in 59.85 seconds for the 5-furlong distance on the main track. Forestry’s Majesty finished third.
The John Salzman Sr. trainee paid $175.60 and topped a $412 exacta, a $1,372.40 trifecta and a $16,869.40 superfecta.
“She broke good and took herself back,” Ryall said. “She was sitting in a great spot and when I asked her to go, she took off.”
The win was the fourth of the Laurel fall meeting for Ryall, a 23-year-old from Norway. She arrived in Maryland in May and began riding during the last week of the Pimlico Race Course spring stand. She finished in a fifth place tie in the standings at the Timonium meet with five longshot victories.
