Yesterday and today: April 30 racing highlights

YESTERDAY’S NEWS: FOUR-WIN DAY FOR TREVOR MCCARTHY

Jockey Trevor McCarthy had a mount in every race yesterday at Laurel Park — and he sure took advantage.

McCarthy won four of those races, including three in a row mid-card, and came within an eyelash of taking home five.  His wins came for four different trainers.

After a non-descript start to the card — fifth and sixth in the first two races — McCarthy earned his first visit to the winner’s circle when he and even money favorite Take Cover rallied to take a $42,000 allowance test in race three by three lengths for trainer Alan Goldberg.

In the third, McCarthy guided If I Was a Boy (3.30-1) to a maiden special weight victory for trainer William Komlo.  The win, in 1:13.32, came by three-quarters of a length and was in the fifth start of the Maryland-bred Jump Start filly’s career.

Back on the turf, this time going a route of ground, McCarthy teamed up with trainer King Leatherbury and Lightning Electric to rally to a 1 1/2 length score.  In fifth after three-quarters of a mile, Lightning Electric split horses in the lane and drove clear to win in 1:41.86 for 1 1/16 miles.

Finally, in a bottom maiden claimer that served as the nightcap, McCarthy guided Over Saver to a two-length win for trainer Dale Capuano.

McCarthy leads all riders during the stand with 60 victories so far, seven more than second-place Victor Carrasco.

ALSO…

• Metaboss returned at Laurel Park yesterday, but the winner of the ’15 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby had the show stolen when M C Squared (8.90-1) grabbed an early lead and never relinquished it to win by a nose in a $45,000 allowance test at Laurel.  M C Squared and jockey Richard Monterrey navigated the one-mile, grassy distance in 1:34.82 and just held off the charge of Helm and Bank Float, both within a head at the wire.  Metaboss, stalled behind a wall of horses, finished sixth, though beaten just 1 1/4 lengths.
• Firster Tippling Ways (11.10-1) did the stalk-and-pounce routine to win a $40,000 maiden special weight test.  The Scat Daddy filly, trained by Tim Woolley, navigated 5 1/2 furlongs in a solid 1:02.63 under Angel Serpa, running down leader La Nina in the process.
• Trainer Tim Kreiser won three times at Penn National last night.  You’re No Saint and Mile End won claiming races — the latter off at 3-10 odds — and Rimfox won a starter allowance.  Mile End’s nine-length romp — in a $16,000 never-won-three claimer — came in a sharp 1:11.18 for six furlongs, just three-tenths slower than second-level allowance horses managed the distance two races later.
• Thinking of Girls won that second allowance test, race six at Penn National, in 1:10.88 under Andrew Wolfsont.  Thinking of Girls, in for the optional $25,000 claiming tag, had won at the same level two back and here held off favored Cooking Up a Storm by a neck to get the money.