Mid-Atlantic racing roundup, August 13

by John Piassek | Aug 13, 2019 | Breaking, Racing, Regionwide, Top Stories

Sure, your attention may have been on Saratoga or Del Mar this past weekend. But there was plenty of Mid-Atlantic racing action to follow, too.

Following, a quick roundup of what went on:

LAUREL PARK

With Trevor McCarthy away for the weekend, Julio Correa used that vacation to take the lead in the jockey standings. He had seven winners on the week, including a hat trick on Thursday. Going into the last weekend, Correa has a three-win lead on McCarthy, who swept all three riding titles at the most recent Laurel Park stand.
A green but good 2-year-old was on display Thursday, as Super John broke his maiden in the second race by 19 ½ lengths. He opened up a commanding lead in the stretch, but then began to drift wildly in the last sixteenth of a mile, at one point approaching the outside rail. Nevertheless, he held on for the victory, going one mile on the dirt in 1:39.67. Sheldon Russell rode the Super Saver colt, who’s trained by John Servis.
Claudio Gonzalez has a stranglehold on the trainer standings, with 21 victories, nine wins more than runner-ups Kieron Magee and Cal Lynch. After a two-win day on August 3, he has not had a win at Laurel since. He’ll seek to bounce back on closing week, with three entrants on Thursday and four more on Friday.

CHARLES TOWN RACES

Cuttin Edge Tech continued her dominant run, winning her sixth race of the Charles Town season in Friday night’s 7th race. Sent off as the 1-9 favorite,, she opened up five lengths in the first 200 yards and coasted to an easy victory. She’s trained by Kevin Patterson for Robert Cole and was ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica and now has seven consecutive wins overall.
The “6-12” Jackpot Pick 6 was hit Thursday night, as one bettor scooped the pot for more than $45,000. Five of the six favorites lost during the sequence, and one key was the upset of favored Hero’s Man in the 7th race, who was a non-factoring third at even money. It was his first defeat after opening his career with three consecutive wins.
Bocachica (90 wins) and trainer Jeff Runco (67 wins) are well ahead of their rivals on the lead in the jockey and trainer standings, respectively.

MONMOUTH PARK

Goldwood picked up her third stakes win of the Monmouth season on Saturday, winning the Incredible Revenge Stakes as the 7/5 favorite. She rated on the inside in the early stages of the 5 ½ furlong turf sprint, then took the lead entering the stretch and held off the late challenges of Fear No Evil and Auldwood Lane. Goldwood adds this win to an impressive 2019 resume that already included victories in the Politely Stakes and the Unbridled Elaine Stakes. She’s owned by Colts Neck Stable, trained by Jorge Duarte, and was ridden by Jose Ferrer.
Jorge Navarro already has perhaps the best 3-year-old sprinter in the country, in Shancelot, and he unveiled another impressive sprinter on Sunday, sending out First Deal to win the Jersey Shore Stakes. Jockey Hector Diaz rated his mount just off a four-way pace battle, then rallied three-wide on the turn. In the last eighth, he pulled clear of his rivals to win by 3 ½ lengths in 1:10.05 for six furlongs. This was his third win in his last four starts, and his fifth triumph in eight career races.
There was a scary moment for leading jockey Nik Juarez on Sunday, when he went down in the eighth race. Riding favored Untamed Domain, Juarez got his mount in tight quarters passing the finish line for the first time, and subsequently clipped heels with the horse in front of him. Fortunately, neither Juarez nor Untamed Domain was injured in the incident.
Jorge Navarro maintained his stranglehold on the trainer standings, winning three races over the weekend to increase his total to 50 wins. Kelly Breen (24) and Jason Servis (23) remain in a battle for second place, but Navarro looks well on his way to another training title.

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