Yesterday and today: July 15 racing highlights
Fight to the finish. Photo by The Racing Biz.
From Staff Reports
YESTERDAY’S NEWS: STENTORIAN, COWGIRL CUT TAKE SPLIT MAIDEN AT CT
A split maiden special weight race for West Virginia-bred fillies and mares yielded two dominant winners in almost exactly the same time last night at Charles Town.
The two 4 1/2 furlong events, run as race five and race eight, each attracted full fields of 10 runners.
In the first of the two, first-time starter Stentorian sped to the lead and never looked back, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in 53.43 seconds under Oscar Flores. The Tim Grams trainee was bred by Schiano Racing Inc. and is owned by Jason Hall and Racer X Stable. She’s a daughter of Munnings out of the Silver Deputy mare Lady H. She paid a modest $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite and topped an exacta of $12.40.
In the second of the pair, another Grams runner, Cowgirl Cut, laid waste to her field, winning by 8 3/4 lengths in 53.51 seconds as the 1-5 favorite. Grams and his wife Judith bred the daughter of Jump Start, out of the Salt Lake mare Salinity, and their Grams Racing Stable LLC owns her. Like her stablemate, Cowgirl Cut, under Gerald Almodovar, went straight to the front and never looked back en route to paying just $2.40 to win. However, with 74-1 Ms. Dorothy C in second and 25-1 Wildlittlestomper in third, the exacta ($73.40) and triple ($586.20) paid handsomely.
[su_divider top=”no” style=”double” size=”9″]BY THE NUMBERS
- HANDLE:
- Charles Town: $828,554
- Delaware Park: $1,036,218
- Penn National: $807,715
- CLAIMS:
- Charles Town: 2
- Delaware Park: 1
- Penn National: 1
- MULTIPLE WINNERS
- JOCKEYS
- Gerald Almodavar, 3 wins at Charles Town
- Edwin Gonzalez, 2 wins at Penn National
- TRAINERS
- Tim Grams, 2 wins at Charles Town
- Tim Kreiser, 2 wins at Penn National
- Aldana Gonzalez, 2 wins at Delaware
- JOCKEYS
LOOK AHEAD: TODAY’S RACING
- Tracks in action today: Monmouth Park, Laurel Park, Penn National, and Charles Town.
- Check out today’s edition of The GQ Approach for full-card handicapping of Laurel Park’s twilight card. Regular Shore Bets ‘capper John Piassek takes a turn at the wheel today.
- Ben Perkins trainee Definitely Tonight (6-1) fits the right profile to win Monmouth Park’s eighth race, a second allowance for New Jersey-breds, and the Fairbanks gelding offers an attractive price to boot. Definitely Tonight has won his last two starts, most recently beating first allowance rivals easily on July 4. Orlando Bocachica will ride and aim for the hat trick of three straight wins. Don’s Marsh (2-1), who took a few races to figure it out but has now finished first or second in four straight and recently thrashed allowance rivals by six lengths, is the favorite in here.
- Caitlyn’s Wish (7-5) has finished second in all three of her career starts and is favored to snap that streak in today’s third from Penn National, a maiden special weight contest for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares. Regular pilot Andrew Wolfsont will reprise those duties for the Michael Salvaggio trainee. Also of interest here: William Stites trainee What’s Trending (7-2), a closing third against similar on debut, and Forest Dew (5-2), trained by Todd Beattie. Beattie has a positive ROI with horses debuting in maiden special weight company.
- Ready to Serve (9-5) has been favored in five of six starts — but the More Than Ready gelding has yet to post a victory. He’s the morning line favorite in tonight’s first at Charles Town, a $23,000 maiden special weight test. Arnaldo Bocachica will ride for trainer Jeff Runco. Flint Stites trainee Strongtothefinish (2-1) just missed against better at Penn National in his debut — but that was back last September, and you have to wonder why ship here from Penn National and run for less money.
