Mid-Atlantic racing roundup, February 19, 2020
Senior Investment. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
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
- Veteran Bobby G won for the fifth time in his last nine starts in Monday’s fifth race. He rated in last in the early stages of the 6 ½ furlong starter optional claiming affair, before swooping three-wide on the turn and drawing away to a 2 ½ length win as the 6-5 favorite. He’s already raced four times on the year, with two wins and a runner-up finish to his credit. He’s owned by Mohan Stable, trained by Jose Corrales, and was ridden by Horacio Karamanos.
- Apprentice jockey Charlie Marquez pulled a riding double on Thursday, and was a head away from a hat trick. He lost the opener in a photo finish with 21/1 Self Awareness, then won race 3 aboard Chuck’s Dream and the 6th race guiding Miss Aliphant. That’s his second double of the month; he also had one on February 1. On the year, he’s had 12 winners from 76 mounts, good for a 16% clip.
- Monday saw the rainbow pick 6 come down to one winning ticket, for a hefty sum of $31,776.72. The sequence saw three favorites win; the key was the 27/1 victory by Ballivor in race 7. He was put up via disqualification, as favored Taco Supream was taken down after winning by a nose.
- Trevor McCarthy’s three-win week keeps him in first place, with 21 wins to his credit. Alex Cintron and Sheldon Russell have 17 victories apiece, tying them for second.
- Claudio Gonzalez has built up a commanding advantage in the trainer standings. His five-win week keeps him well on top, with 31 wins. Kieron Magee is second with 13 victories; four trainers have ten wins to keep them in third place.
CHARLES TOWN RACES
- West Virginia-bred Grace Elizabeth increased her win streak to four in a row, taking a never-won-four allowance on Thursday night by a length. She rated in fourth early on, off loose leader Aussie Gold, then moved two-wide on the final turn. She got by and won by a length over fellow closer Punk Rock Princess, stopping the timer for 6 ½ furlongs in 1:20.18 over the wet track. The winner was ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica, for owner Tri-State Stable and trainer Jeff Runco.
- Chiefs Kingdom won Friday’s featured stakes, the Valentine’s Day Stakes. Sent off as the even-money favorite in the six-horse group, she battled on the lead early with Gold and Strike. She put that rival away on the turn and drew off to a two-length win, going 4 ½ furlongs in 52.94 seconds. That marked the fourth win in a row for Chiefs Kingdom over her home track and her first stakes win. Sunday Diaz rode for owner David Bloom and trainer Javier Contreras.
- Ever since coming to Charles Town last fall, Allthewayto Cairo has gotten into top form. He improved to 4-for-4 over the track in Saturday’s first race, snapping the four-race winning streak of favored Warleigh. After battling briefly with his rival, Allthewayto Cairo opened up nearing the half-mile point, and pulled away for a 3 ¾ length win. He’s owned by Norman Garnes, trained by Joan Reynolds, and was ridden by Darius Thorpe.
- Denis Araujo continues to be a thorn in Arnaldo Bocachica’s side. Bocachica’s lead in the jockey race over Arujo is just two wins, 27-25.
- Jeff Runco leads the trainer standings, with 15 wins. Ronney Brown, with 11 victories, is the only other trainer in double digits.
PARX RACING
- Jamie Ness got his 3,000th career training win in Tuesday’s sixth race. He scored with Late Breaking News, as that one opened up a giant lead in the stretch of the one-mile affair, and cruised under the wire 4 ½ lengths in front. Since beginning his training career in 1999, he’s won one national training title, in 2012, along with nine titles at Tampa Bay Downs and seven at Delaware Park.
- Later on the Tuesday card, Senior Investment was impressive in winning $50,000 open allowance. He prompted the pace while well off the inside, then moved on the turn and drew off to a 2 ½ length win. That’s his second win in a row, which pushed his earnings past the $640,000 mark. Richard Malouf is the winning owner, Scott Lake the winning trainer, and Emmanuel Esquivel the winning jockey.
- Mychel Sanchez won a trio of races on Monday’s card. He bookended the ten-race program, taking race 1 with Knokke by the Sea and race 10 aboard Madame Tiger. In between, he scored in the eighth race with Lucky Britches. Sanchez’s big day helped him extend his lead in the jockey standings to five, with 20 wins total.
- Ness has tied Joseph Taylor for the training lead, they’ve each sent 14 winners home.
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