LAUREL, MD – Vivian E Rall’s homebred Epic Idea, a 4-year-old daughter of Maryland’s leading sire Great Notion, wore down Glittering Judy through the stretch and edged clear to a one-length triumph in Friday’s featured eighth race at Laurel Park.
Ridden by Daniel Centeno, his second victory of the afternoon, Epic Idea ($15.60) was making her second start off an eight-month layoff for trainer Ann Merryman in the open allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up. The winning time was 1:02.01 over a firm Dahlia turf course layout.
“I just thought in the first race back for some reason she didn’t look to me like she got a hold of the track, so we changed a few things on her,” Merryman said. “There was a lot of speed in here. She’s a nice filly. We like her.”
Centeno settled Epic Idea in second along the rail as Glittering Judy posted brisk fractions of 22.23 and 44.42 seconds through a half-mile. Centeno, who beat the Merryman-trained Little Skiff with Beantown Baby July 3 at Laurel, tipped Epic Idea to the middle of the track once straightened for home and took aim at the leader.
“He beat us the other day, so I was like the next time I’m gonna ride that guy,” Merryman said.
Favored at 2-1 in the field of 11, Midship Lady got up to be second, a head in front of 40-1 long shot Market Money. China Silk was fifth.
Great Notion, who stands at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md. has sired such prominent horses as multiple stakes winners Anna’s Bandit, Crabcakes, Lewisfield, Phlash Phelps and Talk Show Man and graded-stakes winners Havelock and Ruby Notion.
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