Great Soul edged Prognosis to win the Wide Country Stakes Monday at Laurel Park. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Steven Long’s Great Soul benefited from a ground-saving trip under Trevor McCarthy to prevail by a half-length in the $75,000 Wide Country, a seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds on Laurel’s Presidents’ Day program.
The 3-year-old homebred daughter of Great Notion raced along the rail behind a contested pace set by Social Butterfly, pressed by Aye a Song and tracked by Karen’s Silk and Prognosis along the backstretch and into the far turn. When Social Butterfly began to tire leaving the turn into the homestretch, Prognosis and Karen’s Silk moved for the lead in tandem, setting up an anticipated stretch duel. However, Trevor McCarthy found a hole open up and asked Great Soul for her run and she responded with a tenacious inside run to prevail.
“She got bogged down on the inside, but I had the horse to wait and see if something opened up. We didn’t really have anywhere to go the whole way around, but when I asked her to go to the inside she got to running,” McCarthy said.
Prognosis finished second under Horacio Karamanos, 1 ½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Clare’s Dowery. Karen’s Silk, the 4-5 favorite finished fourth, another two lengths back.
Great Soul, who ran seven furlongs in 1:27.73 had run twice previously, finishing third in her debut at six furlongs Nov. 27 and winning her second start at a mile by 2 ½ lengths Dec. 31.
“The competition was tough today but I really liked my horse coming in,” trainer Tim Keefe said. “She wants to win and you can’t train that into a horse.”
