Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From Staff Reports
LAUREL PARK: GOLDEN RINGS WINS (AGAIN)
Five-year-old Golden Rings won off by six lengths March 11 at Laurel Park in a $5,000 claiming race that was remarkable for something entirely separate from the race itself.
For the second straight race, Golden Rings ran in a claiming race without being eligible to be claimed.
Maryland claiming rules permit a horse to enter a claiming race without being eligible to be claimed if that horse has not started in at least 180 days and enters back at the same, or a higher, claiming price than in its most recent start.
On February 8, trainer Kieron Magee entered Golden Rings in a similar nickel claiming race and watched him notch a dominant, 5 1/2 length score.
Two days later, however, Laurel’s racing office discovered that Golden Rings had not been eligible to waive the claiming tag because Golden Rings had only been off for 166 days, not the requisite 180, since his last race.
The racing office notified the stewards, who disqualified the horse. They then fined Magee, the trainer, for entering an ineligible horse and assistant racing secretary Jillian Tullock for failing to catch the ineligible entry $250 apiece.
Because Golden Rings was not eligible to enter for the condition he was entered, he’s essentially deemed a non-starter; it’s as if he never ran at all on February 8. That allowed Magee to wheel him back Friday in the same condition and once again to waive the claiming price.
Golden Rings, under Kali Francois, who won two on the day, posted a front-running six length score.
LAUREL PARK: A $100 WINNER
Crafty Estate had never finished in the money in seven career starts — prior to today.
Today, however, the West Virginia-bred Real Estate colt surged to a clear lead in mid-stretch and had just enough to hold off the late rally of Charlie’s Darlin by a head in the $25,000 maiden claiming event.
Apprentice Kevin Gomez was in the irons for trainer Carlyne Tapscott.
Crafty Estate paid $104.60 to win as the 51-1 longest shot in the six-horse field. He topped a $507.40 exacta and a two-dollar trifecta that paid $2247.80.
CHARLES TOWN: GAELIC MAN SHARP IN RETURN
Gaelic Man was off a year prior to last night’s sixth race at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
Looks like the time off may have done him some good.
The Dennis of Cork gelding shot out of the gate directly to the lead and never looked back, en route to a sharp 1 1/2 length score in an allowance for West Virginia-breds that had never won two races. Running time for the 4 1/2 furlongs was a solid 51.64 seconds.
Gaelic Man, trained by breeder James W. Casey and owned by his Taylor Mountain Farm LLC, won on second asking as a juvenile before failing three straight times in allowance company as a two- and three-year-old, twice as the favorite.
Away since March 19, 2015, Gaelic Man and jockey Christian Hiraldo made it look easy last night. Gaelic Man has now won twice from six starts and earned $37,977.
PENN NATIONAL: MIDDLE MOVE PROPELS HADEEA TO FEATURE SCORE
Hadeea was ready to go.
The sophomore Misbah colt bided his time for a quarter mile behind Fear Or Be Feared – but that was long enough. Rounding the turn in the six-furlong test, Hadeea cruised up and quickly disposed of Fear Or Be Feared, opening up a three-length lead in the stretch.
Riq Fox made some late headway, but Hadeea, under Wilfredo Corujo, was clearly best in winning by three-quarters of a length. Running time was 1:11.31 in the first level allowance for Pennsylvania-breds.
Hadeea, bred by Godstone Farm LP, is trained by Erin McClellan for Red Barn Farm LLC. Hadeea, who paid $13.20 to win, has now won two of three starts.
