Stormin Monarcho looked the part of the favorite in winning the accident-marred Richard W. Small Stakes. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Lawrence P. Roman’s Stormin Monarcho enjoyed a perfect trip, stalking the leaders until he was asked to go, then spurting to the lead and drawing off to win in the $100,000 Richard W. Small Stakes at Laurel Park.
Jevian Toledo picked up the mount from the injured Alex Cintron and helped the David Jacobson trained runner to a 2-3/4 length triumph in 1:49.32 for the mile and one eighth distance. Page McKenney checked in second, while Beautyinthepulpit finished third.
“There was a lot of speed in this race so I put my horse behind them in a good spot,” Toledo said. “There were horses fighting it out on the front end and mine was going nice and easy. At the quarter pole I had a lot of horse left and I asked him to go and he responded well.”
Cintron suffered multiple facial fractures, including a broken jaw, in a spill at Laurel Friday afternoon.
The winner, a son of Monarchos, raced in New York and Delaware Park this summer with two optional allowance wins before venturing to Gulfstream Park West for his most recent start, a fourth place finish in a minor stakes.
Stormin Monarcho paid $7.40.
The race included a spill at the top of the stretch. Maryland Million Turf winner Talk Show Man was bumped by Turco Bravo and went down, tossing jockey Xavier Perez. Talk Show Man got up and galloped back to trainer Hamilton Smith’s barn on the Laurel backstretch. Perez walked back to the jocks room under his own power but took off his final mount on the card.
