Mid-Atlantic Three Stars: June 9

by John Piassek | Jun 9, 2021 | Breaking, Racing, Regionwide, Top Stories

Hypothesis – nose down first – won the It’s Only Money over Sagebrush (#3). Photo by Coady Photography.

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

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

PIMLICO

FIRST STAR: Hanalei’s Houdini. The Memorial Day feature at Pimlico was a n/w3x allowance optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Maryland-bred veteran Hanalei’s Houdini prevailed by 2 ½ lengths, in his first win of the year. Jevian Toledo rated him right off an early duel, then moved him three-wide as he powered away to victory. He covered the distance over a FAST track in 1:44.52, for owner/trainer Kieron Magee. In his career, Hanalei’s Houdini has now won five times from 26 starts, with earnings of more than $243,000.
SECOND STAR: Charlie Marquez. Marquez, who recently lost his apprentice allowance, had a big week last week. He won five races, including three on Saturday’s card. He won race 2 on Gins and Tins, for trainer Michael Gorham, then took the 3rd race on Donald Barr trainee Americas Woman. Marquez polished off the hat trick in race 5, scoring aboard Mavilus, for trainer John Salzman Jr. With his big week, Marquez has assumed control of the jockey standings. He’s in first place with 26 wins, five clear of runner-up J.D. Acosta.
THIRD STAR: Leonardo Corujo. Not to be outdone, Corujo won three races on Friday’s program. He won on all three of his mounts that day. He scored in race 3 with Sommer Velvet, for trainer Kevin Boniface, race 4 with Revolutionary Road, trained by Robert Vukelic, and the 8th race aboard Speightster Red, for trainer Robert Bailes. Corujo has seven wins from 53 mounts at the meet.

CHARLES TOWN RACES

FIRST STAR: Hypothesis. Saturday’s feature was the It’s Only Money Stakes for West Virginia-bred sprinters, in the final stakes race before Charles Town Classic day in August. Hypothesis, the 2-1 second choice, sat off the pace on the outside, while favored Sagebrush sat towards the back of the pack early on in the 4 ½-furlong contest. In the stretch, Hypothesis pounced on the embattled pacesetters, and held off the late surge of Sagebrush for a nose win. The final time over a fast track was 52.18 seconds. Jose Montano had the winning mount, for owner Jill Daniel and trainer Crystal Pickett.
SECOND STAR: Super Garner. After a brief trip over to Finger Lakes, this West Virginia-bred gelding returned to Charles Town on Thursday night in search of his sixth win in a row. He found it in a starter optional claiming race, cruising under the line by 3 ½ lengths as the 2-5 favorite. He found the lead early, seized firm control, and never gave it up. Five of the wins in this streak have come at Charles Town. He’s owned by Dunham Thoroughbreds and KCMH Racing LLC, trained by Bernard Dunham, and ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica.
THIRD STAR: V I P Ticket. Off a win in the Confucius Say Stakes last out, V I P Ticket was sent off as the 1/10 favorite in an allowance race on Friday night. Gerald Almodovar rated him right off the pace in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest, then moved to the front three-wide on the turn. With little opposition late, he coasted under the wire clear by 1 ¼ lengths. He’s owned by A.R.D. Racing Stable and trained by Jerry O’Dwyer.

MONMOUTH PARK

FIRST STAR: Devamani. Chad Brown had a big day at Belmont Park on Saturday, but he enjoyed success at Monmouth as well. He saddled Devamani to victory in the G3 Monmouth Stakes, as the French-bred gelding won his second career graded stakes race. Nik Juarez gave him a very patient ride, saving ground on the inside just off the pace. In the stretch, he angled off the inside and got up to win over Winter’s Back. He went 1 ⅛ miles over a GOOD grass course in 1:48.90. Dubb, Goldfarb, and Abraham are the winning owners.
SECOND STAR: Altaf. Brown continued a strong weekend on Sunday, as Altaf won the Lady’s Secret Stakes by 2 ½ lengths. Dylan Davis rated her off the pace early on, then effortlessly moved her to the lead turning for home and drew off. She covered 1 1/16 miles over the FAST dirt track in 1:43.64, for her first career stakes win. Shadwell Stables is the winning owner.
THIRD STAR: Paco Lopez. Monmouth’s perennial leading jockey had a big day on Sunday, winning four races from eleven mounts. He swept the early double, winning race 1 on Joe Orseno trainee Cash Call Kitten, and race 2 on Antigravity, for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. In the 7th race, he scored aboard Mr. Edgar, for trainer Jose Delgado. He wrapped up the hat trick in race 11 on Projected, trained by Kieron Magee. Lopez is fourth in the jockey standings, with six wins, after not riding on opening weekend.

DELAWARE PARK

FIRST STAR: Paisley Singing. Last Wednesday, Paisley Singing took a n/w2x allowance optional claiming sprint by 1 ½ lengths. Favored Trunk of Money set the pace, while Paisley Singing pressed her on the inside, then drew alongside her in the stretch. In the last eighth, Paisley Singing wore down Trunk of Money and pulled clear, covering 5 ½ furlongs over a FAST track in 1:04.54. J.D. Acosta had the winning mount, for owner C and B Stables and trainer Charles Frock.
SECOND STAR: Arcadia Calls. This gelding won his first race of the year in Saturday’s feature, winning a n/w2x allowance optional claiming race in a mild 5-1 upset. He battled in the stretch with Cucina and favored Where Paradise Lay, before prevailing by a head. Although a claim of foul was filed against him, it was disallowed. He went 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.51 over a fast track. Roberto Alvarado Jr had the winning mount, for owner Winning Stable Inc and trainer Gerald Bennett.
THIRD STAR: Food and Wine. Also last Wednesday, Food and Wine stole a n/w1x allowance on the grass in a 14-1 upset. He opened up a long early lead under Tomas Meija, at one point opening up a 10-length lead as they rounded the far turn. Although his strides shortened late, Food and Wine held on for a four-length win. He went a mile and 70 yards in 1:41.26, for owner Jose Rosales and trainer Linda Manchio.

PARX RACING

FIRST STAR: Ruben Silvera. Silvera enjoyed a five-win day last Wednesday. Four of those wins came on horses trained by Jamie Ness. They teamed up to win race 4 with Where U B, race 7 with Monaco Princess, race 8 with Secret Banker, and the 9th race with Jamminwithbrandon. Silvera also won race 10 on Always a Queen, for trainer Scott Lake. Silvera has 104 wins heading into this Wednesday’s card, far and away the most of any Parx jockey.
SECOND STAR: Jamie Ness. Ness also has a commanding lead in the standings, with 77 training wins on the meet. That’s more than double the total of runner-up Louis Linder Jr, who has 33 wins. He won seven races last week. In addition to his four wins with Silvera, he teamed up with Frankie Pennington twice last Monday, and once with Jaime Rodriguez last Tuesday.
THIRD STAR: Magic Michael. One of Ness’s winners came in the Memorial Day feature, as Magic Michael won for the third time this year. He won a n/w2x allowance optional claiming race by 7 ¼ lengths, with a strong, wide bid on the final turn. He went the mile over a fast track in 1:36.21. Frankie Pennington was in the saddle, for owners Morris Kernan Jr, Yo Berbs, and Jagger Inc.