Mid-Atlantic Three Stars: November 3

 Out of Sorts impresses at Laurel. Photo: Jim McCue/MJC

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

Here’s a look at the “three stars” of each track:

LAUREL PARK

• FIRST STAR: THE RUSSELLS. The husband/wife riding/training team of Sheldon and Brittany Russell sent out two promising two-year-old fillies this week. On Thursday, first-timer Gherardini soundly won a one-mile maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths. The $150,000 purchase was one of two winners on the day to come from off the pace over the sloppy track. A few days later, second-time starter Out of Sorts easily won at six furlongs. She rated just off the pace in the early stages, then pounced on the leader, and drew off to beat a maiden field by 10 3/4 lengths.
• SECOND STARS: ANGEL CRUZ AND JOHAN ROSADO. Both these jockeys recorded a hat trick on Friday. Cruz won the first three races on the card. He took race 1 on Dixie Drawl, for trainer Dale Capuano, race 2 aboard Awesome Pal, trained by Kenneth Cox, and the third race on Lugamo. Rodolfo Sanchez-Solomon was the winning conditioner on that one. Not to be outdone, Rosado took the next two races on Larimar and Market Cap, both trained by Jeremiah O’Dwyer. Rosado and O’Dwyer teamed up for the third time in race 9, as Doubleoseven got the job done.
• THIRD STAR: LOST IN LIMBO. Saturday’s feature race was a very tough n/w2x allowance optional claiming race at 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. With a rail-skimming trip, Lost in Limbo surged in the stretch and drew off to a 2 1/2 length win. After spending the early part of his campaign in Florida and the midwest, he made his mid-Atlantic debut last out, with a fourth-place finish at this level at Pimlico. Victor Carrasco had the winning mount, for owner Willow Lane Stable and trainer Tom Proctor.

CHARLES TOWN RACES

 PARX RACING

• FIRST STAR: RUBEN SILVERA. He won eight races this past week, including hat tricks on back-to-back days. On Tuesday, he won race 2 on Genghis, for trainer Jamie Ness. He teamed up again with Ness in race 8, on Platinum Paynter, and completed the hat trick on longshot Whistling Birds in the ninth race, for trainer Louis Linder. Following that big performance, he won three more on Wednesday. All three of them came on horses trained by Jamie Ness: Congrats Answer in race 4, Even Thunder in the 6th race, and Bolita Boyz in race 11.
• SECOND STAR: MYCHEL SANCHEZ. Parx’s top jockey had a big day of his own on Monday, taking home four victories. He prevailed in the third race on Joseph Taylor-trained Slingin Sammy B, then went back-to-back on Moe Trouble in race 4, for trainer Kimberly Graci. The hat trick was completed on Lookin at Roses in race 6, for trainer Guadalupe Preciado. Sanchez wrapped up the grand slam in race 10, guiding Rory Huston trainee Powerfully Built to victory.
• THIRD STAR: WHISTLING BIRDS. One of Silvera’s wins on Tuesday came in the feature race, a n/w3x allowance at one mile on the dirt. Although he won twice at Parx earlier in the year, Whistling Birds was sent off at 24/1. Those who kept the faith were well-rewarded, as he battled in the stretch and won by a neck, after rating just off the pace. He’s owned by Bran Jam Stables and David Clark.

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