2000 WINS FOR BOCACHICA

• Jockey Arnaldo Bocachica won with his final two mounts on Saturday evening to reach an even 2,000 wins in his career. Bocachica reaches the milestone in 9,589 career starts (21%) and, fittingly, gets the number on Never Compromise, a horse trained by Jeff Runco.

HAT TRICK FOR SHELDON RUSSELL

• Jockey Sheldon Russell scored three times Saturday at Laurel Park, winning the first, sixth, and last races on the card, for three different trainers. Russell has 23 wins from 107 starts thus far in 2021.

FANCY CONCHO UPENDED IN CT ALLOWANCE

• 2020 WV Lottery Breeders’ Classic winner Fancy Concho pressed the pace set by Hero’s Man, led in the stretch, but saw that rival surge back to win, with the Tim Grams-trained Fancy Concho settling for second. He has six wins and six seconds from 12 starts, while Hero’s Man, trained by James Casey, won in his first start of the season.

MONEY RIDE WINS LAUREL FEATURE

• Belmont shipper Money Ride enjoyed his first trip to Laurel just fine, as the Michael Miceli trainee led every step of the way under Horacio Karamanos to win the Saturday allowance feature. He’s won two straight and four of six.

GRAVITY’S RAINBOW HEADLINES LAUREL SUNDAY FEATURE

• Gravity’s Rainbow, an easy first out winner for trainer Brittany Russell, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Sunday’s allowance feature at Laurel Park. Sheldon Russell will ride.
• Also, jockey Alex CIntron is off his Sunday mounts.

UPSETS SPICE UP TRIPLE CROWN PREPS

• Weyburn, a 46-1 outsider trained by Jimmy Jerkens, got up to win the Grade 3 Gotham by a nose under jockey Trevor McCarthy. Weyburn, who’d broken his maiden in his prior start, picks up 50 Kentucky Derby points but has not (yet) been nominated to the Triple Crown. The next closing date to nominate, which carries a $6,000 fee, is March 29.
• The Mark Casse-trained Helium rallied from 10th to win the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby under jockey Jose Ferrer. Like Weyburn, Helium picks up 50 points but is not nominated to the Triple Crown.
• Order was restored in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita Park, when the Bob Baffert trainee Life Is Good posted a front-running, eight-length triumph to earn 50 points. He now has 60 points and is all but assured a spot in the Derby starting gate.