KAYLASAURUS POWERS TO WILLA ON THE MOVE WIN
Press Release- December 26, 2021
Bush Racing Stable and Liberty House Racing’s Kaylasaurus, trailing by as many as nine lengths at one point, completed a last-to-first move with an eye-catching rally through the stretch to surge past Princess Kokachin and win the $100,000 Willa On the Move.
It was the first career stakes win for Kaylasaurus ($13), a 5-year-old daughter of multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Munnings racing first time off the claim for Penn National-based trainer Tim Kreiser. The winning time was 1:11.74 over a fast main track.
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“She always makes that big move down the stretch, and Maryland’s known for the quarter pole home is where you make your money,” Kreiser said, “so, we thought this would be the best spot to run her.”
Princess Kokachin, who extended her win streak to five with a front-running triumph over eight-time stakes winner Hello Beautiful in the Nov. 26 Politely at Laurel, broke running and held the advantage again over Hello Beautiful after going the opening quarter-mile in 22.30 seconds and the half in 45.77.
Jockey Xavier Perez and Princess Kokachin were still going easy on the turn as Hello Beautiful, favored at 4-5, was passed to her inside by 25-1 long shot Paisley Singing. Princess Kokachin was comfortably in front and going strong in mid-stretch but was no match for the devastating late run on the far outside from Kaylasaurus.
“We saw the pace was there,” Kreiser said. “[Hello Beautiful] was struggling trying to keep up with [Princess Kokachin], so I was feeling good about the three-eighths pole.”
Kaylasaurus won by 2 ¼ lengths over Princess Kokachin, with Paisley Singing another two lengths back in third. Dontletsweetfoolya and Hello Beautiful completed the order of finish. The winner was claimed for $25,000 out of a 3 ¼-length win going six furlongs Nov. 30 at Penn National and was making her third career stakes try. She finished 10th in the 2018 Gin Talking at Laurel and fourth in the Aug. 23 Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial at Parx.
“The race was good for my filly,” winning jockey Horacio Karamanos said. “The speed was going and she’s got a beautiful finish, so I just sit in behind. They were going fast and I tried to be close but not rush her and when she started to move in the middle of the turn, I go little wide to look for the best spot and she give me a beautiful kick at the end. The last sixteenth of a mile, she was just galloping.”
One race later, Threes Over Deuces, in his third straight down-to-the-wire finish, got the nod by a head over Charles Town shipper Penguin Power and another nose over Youngest of Five to win the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes for older sprinters.
Trained by Gary Capuano for Pocket 3’s Racing LLC, Threes Over Deuces was ridden to victory by Victor Rosales. It was the six-year-old’s seventh career victory and pushed his earnings to $518,587.
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