Please Flatter Me, Cordmaker join Top Midlantic-bred Poll
Please Flatter Me held off Parisian Diva to win the Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
June stakes wins helped propel a pair of newcomers, three-year-old Please Fletter Me and four-year-old Cordmaker, onto the latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll, released today.
Both runners checked in at fifth in their respective polls.
Please Flatter Me, a Pennsylvania-bred, won the Alma North Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Laurel Park June 16. It was her second stakes victory at Laurel and third overall, but her best result may have come in defeat. She finished second, behind track record-setter Covfefe in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard..
Please Flatter Me is trained by Mark Reid for Heider Family Stables LLC, Madaket Stables LLC, and Doheny Racing Stable. She is a daughter of Munnings and was bred by Mary Katherine Haire.
Maryland-bred Cordmaker came to the voters’ attention with a third-place finish in the Grade Pimlico Special May 17. He followed that up with a rallying victory in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel Park June 16.
Overall, Cordmaker has six wins from 14 career starts and earnings of $325,290. The Curlin gelding was bred by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss and is owned by Ellen M. Charles’ Hillwood Stables LLC. Rodney Jenkins trains Cordmaker, who now counts three stakes among his six victories.
Beyond those two newcomers, the rest of the two polls looks virtually identical to last month, with minor shuffling of places. Runnin’toluvya (WV) remains the top older horse, despite a recent loss in the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park. And among sophomores, Out for a Spin (VA) continues to lead, though she has not raced since finishing up the track in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
Of the 10 horses in the two polls, three were bred in Pennsylvania, and three others were bred in Maryland. Two were bred in West Virginia, with New Jersey and Virginia represented by one horse each. Five of the top 10 are males, and five are females.
The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.
The poll is conducted of media members and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry and restricted to horses that have run in 2019 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.
- Out for a Spin (VA) — 3yo filly by Hard Spun-My Mammy, by Came Home; bred in Virginia by William M. Backer Revocable Trust; trained by Dallas Stewart for Commonwealth Stable; won Grade 1 Ashland S. Last month: 1
- Alwaysmining (MD) — 3yo gelding by Stay Thirsty-What Will Be, by Anees; bred in Maryland by Avla Pitts; trained by Kelly Rubley for Runnymede Racing LLC; won $125,000 Federico Tesio S. $100,000 Miracle Wood S., $100,000 Private Terms S. Last month: 2
- Call Paul (PA) — 3yo colt by Friesan Fire-Avani Force, by Forestry; bred in Pennsylvania by Beatrice Patterson and Vicky Schowe; trained by Jason Servis for Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bethlehem Stables LLC, and Bruce Irom; 2019 accomplishments: Won G3 Swale Stakes, $100,000 Danzig Stakes, third in G3 Bay Shore S. Last month: 4
- Las Setas (MD) — 3yo filly by Seville-Tanca, by Polish Numbers; bred in Maryland by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss; trained by Katy Voss for herself, Manfuso, and Wayne Harrison; won $125,000 Weber City Miss S., $100,000 Wide Country S. Last month: 3
- Please Flatter Me (PA) — 3yo filly by Munnings-She’s Flattering, by Flatter; bred in Pennsylvania by Mary Katherine Haire; trained by Mark Reid for Heider Family Stables LLC, Madaket Stables LLC, and Doheny Racing Stable; won $100,000 Alma North Stakes, 2nd Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes. Last month: NA
Also receiving votes: Gotta Be Strong, Horologist, Chilly in Charge, Our Braintrust
- Runnin’toluvya (WV) — 5yo gelding by Fiber Sonde-Lov’emnrun, by Not for Love; bred in West Virginia by Leslie G. Cromer; trained by Tim Grams for Grams Racing Stable LLC; 2019 accomplishments: won G2 Charles Town Classic, Russell Road Overnight Prep S. Last month: 1
- Valedictorian (NJ) — 5yo mare by Temple City-Smart N Classy, by Smart Strike; bred in New Jersey by John Bowers, Jr.; trained by Kelly Breen for Epic Racing; won G3 Suwanee River S., G3 Eatontown S., Sand Springs S., 2nd in G3 Honey Fox S., 3rd in G3 Marshua’s River S. Last month: 4
- Prince Lucky (PA) — 4yo gelding by Corinthian-Lucky Notion, by Great Notion; bred in Pennsylvania by Daniel McConnell, Sr.; trained by Todd Pletcher for Daniel McConnell; won G2 Gulfstream Park Mile, G3 Hal’s Hope S. Last month: 2
- Late Night Pow Wow (WV) — 4yo filly by Fiber Sonde-Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie; bred in West Virginia by John McKee; trained by Javier Contreras for Breeze Easy LLC; won G3 Barbara Fritchie S., $100,000 What A Summer S., 3rd G1 Madison. Last month: 3
- Cordmaker (MD) — 4yo gelding by Curlin-Tanca, by Polish Numbers; bred in Maryland by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss; trained by Rodney Jenkins for Hillwood Stable LLC; won $100,000 Polynesian Stakes, $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes, 2nd G3 Pimlico Special. Last month: NA
Also receiving votes: Realm, Daddy Is a Legend, Monongahela, Sunny Ridge
Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Rich Glazier (Delaware Park), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (The Blood-Horse), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter, Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Sal Sinatra (Maryland Jockey Club), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).
Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.
