Mid-Atlantic racing roundup, October 23

by John Piassek | Oct 23, 2019 | Breaking, Racing, Regionwide, Top Stories

A splashy win for Another Whim. Photo by The Racing Biz.

Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s your five-minute read to get caught up on all of it:

LAUREL PARK

Hamilton Smith had himself quite the day on Sunday, winning three races in extremely sloppy conditions. He won the second race with What a Tart, who battled the whole length of the stretch and won by a head at 4/1. Sweet Home Dixie rolled down the center of the track to take race 7 as the 4-5 favorite. Smith completed the hat trick in the ninth race, as Another Whim, on Lasix for the first time, ran down a very green West Coast Sky for the 4/1 win.
The Jeremiah Englehart/Jorge Vargas trainer/jockey combo is always a dangerous one, and they proved the point further on Sunday, winning the featured second-level allowance sprint with Aveenu Malcainu. He rated two-wide off the pace in the early stages, before darting through on the inside turning for home. He splashed home to a five-length victory, going the seven furlongs in 1:25.00.
In much more pleasant conditions, Jefazo pulled an upset in Friday’s feature, a second-level allowance route on the dirt. Alex Cintron had his mount wide on the first turn and up the backstretch, before moving over to the inside and coming up the rail turning for home. In the stretch, he battled with favored Degrom, before getting clear for a one-length victory. The recent Penn National invader is owned by James Wolf and trained by Kieron Magee.
Trevor McCarthy and Sheldon Russell are tied for the lead in the jockey standings, with 19 wins apiece. Russell is winning at a 19% clip, while McCarthy’s at 14%. Julio Correa, as he prepares to move to Aqueduct, is in third place, with 16 victories, one ahead of Jorge Ruiz.
Smith’s big win on Sunday put him in fourth place in the trainer standings, with 10 wins. Mike Trombetta is in first place, with 14 wins, with Claudio Gonzalez right in behind with 13 victories. Dale Capuano has 11 wins.

CHARLES TOWN RACES

It’s no secret that Arnaldo Bocachica is the top jockey in West Virginia, but he really underlined the point on Saturday, with five victories. Bocachica won with Warleigh in race 1 at 3-5, Technique Only in race 3 at 8-5, 2-5 Craig’s in the 4th race, 1-5 Sangria Sweet in race 6, and Hi Hi Holly in race 9 at 2-1.
Arya Peaceful made it three wins in a row in Friday night’s featured event, a West Virginia-bred allowance. Fredy Peltroche sent her right to the lead, then got into a speed duel with Frosty’s Majesty. Turning for home, Arya Peaceful began to pull away and won by 3 ¼ lengths, in a sharp 52.57 seconds. She’s owned by Tabitha Brady and trained by Joseph Stehr.
Bocachica, with 137 wins, maintains a strong advantage in the jockey race. Jeff Runco leads the trainer standings, with 98 triumphs.

MONMOUTH PARK/MEADOWLANDS

Jomar Torres had a solid day on Friday at the Meadowlands, with two victories on the six-race program. He took the first race with 25/1 longshot Wowee, taking them in gate-to-wire style. He bookended the card with a score in the finale aboard 5-2 Tale of Kantharos. Going into the final weekend, him and Harry Hernandez are tied in the standings, with five wins apiece.
A pair of Jersey-breds impressed on a splashtastic Sunday card at Monmouth Park. Ebony Ball won her second race of the meet by winning a n/w2x Jersey-bred allowance race. She rated well off the early pace, then rallied wide in the stretch to win by 2 ½ lengths.
Not to be outdone, Love is Your Name dazzled as the 1-5 favorite in a n/w1x allowance later in the card. Paco Lopez sent her right to the front, then kept on going and won by a strong 5 ½ lengths. She was trained by Jose Delgado and owned by David Gruskos, but was claimed out of the race by Zeppes Stables LLC and trainer Charles Harvatt.
The last day of racing at Monmouth Park will be this Sunday, and the jockey race has yet to be determined. Paco Lopez is in first place, with 107, followed by Nik Juarez, at 106.
The top three trainers are set: Jorge Navarro will win the training title, with 68 wins, Jason Servis is second, with 40 victories, followed by Kelly Breen, with 35 triumphs.

PARX RACING

Belmont Park shipper Saint Moon impressed in Monday’s feature race, dominating an off-the-grass allowance race by 3 ½ lengths. She popped out of the gate on top, and opened up a four-length lead on the turn. She crossed the wire in the 5-furlong contest 3 ¾ lengths in front, for Crawford Farms Racing, Jorge Navarro, and Paco Lopez.
Still Alive returned to the scene of her maiden win, and took a n/w1x allowance for 2-year-old fillies on Sunday. She pressed early leader Capital Q, then moved on the far turn and drew off to a 4 ½ length win. This was the second career win for the Guadalupe Preciado-trained filly, who was ridden by John Bisono.
Frankie Pennington maintained his lead over Mychel Sanchez in the jockey standings, with 117 wins, compared to Sanchez’s 113. Joseph Taylor is still the leading trainer, with 78 triumphs to his credit.