Laurel Park Racing Notebook, Vol. 6
Waterhaven (#6) won but was disqualified at Laurel on June 11. Photo by The Racing Biz.
by Frank Vespe
Our new Laurel Park racing notebook gives you the scoop on the weekend’s racing, even if you couldn’t make it out. Horses to watch, headlines from the weekend, leading jocks and trainers — it’s all here.
Check it out below.
GQ’S HORSES TO WATCH
- Eleven It Is – Useful debut for Jack Fisher-trained Smart Strike gelding; bumped around at the break and a bit rank early, he challenged while three wide on the far turn, made the lead, then tired late to third in a slow early-fast late race; should be tough on return
- Diadura – Mike Stidham trainee’s best game might be sprinting on the lawn, as this Hard Spun filly made a bold inside advance in the lane before having to steady off heels, then regroup to be a clear second
- Called in Sick – Only runner involved in blazing early pace — 21 4/5 seconds for the opening quarter — to be around late, finishing third by a length in $16,000 lifetime claiming sprint on turf
- My Enigma – Huge run while wide on the course to take N2X allowance by four lengths sprinting on the turf for trainer Claudio Gonzalez
- Goiaba – Pricey, $300,000 Speightstown filly is a half-sis to graded winner Sacristy and ran like it, winning off by over six lengths to win at first asking
- Lemon Drop Kitty — Lemon Drop Kid filly was pushed out wide entering the first turn, ran a bit greenly in the lane, but rallied smartly when clear to be second against another first-out Delacour winner; this one looks ready to graduate
HEADLINES
- No Dozing wakes up with impressive Caveat score
- Goiaba, Greek Mythology sweep Sunday maiden allowances for Delacour, Bonne Chance
- Multiple stakes winner Talk Show Man wins first in over two years
- Delacour wins four to lead all trainers
- Jockey Carrasco powers to five-win weekend
JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS
Victor Carrasco won with five of 17 mounts last weekend at Laurel Park to take a clear, five-win lead in the jockey standings. Carrasco was one of nine jocks to win at least twice during the weekend.
Two other riders, Alex Cintron and Jevian Toledo, won four races during the weekend. Cintron continues to have a strong meet here and at Delaware Park. At Laurel, Cintron is 12-for-46 during the current meet, while he’d won with 13 of 59 mounts at Delaware through July 22. Toledo is third locally with 20 wins.
Daniel Centeno was one of six jocks to win twice during the weekend, and those wins included his score aboard No Dozing in the $75,000 Caveat Stakes.
Arnaud Delacour and Claudio Gonzalez enjoyed the most productive weekends among trainers at Laurel Park. Delacour won with four of six starters, including Caveat Stakes winner No Dozing, a pair of maiden allowance winners, and an allowance score. Gonzalez meanwhile was three-for-three on the weekend and closed to within one victory of Kieron Magee for the overall lead; Magee has 13 victories during the stand to 12 for Gonzalez.
Milan Milosevic was one of four trainers with two victories during the weekend, and he now has four wins from seven starters during the meet. That’s the best win percentage of any trainer at Laurel with at least three wins so far this meet.
