Mid-Atlantic Three Stars: April 3 * The Racing Biz

MID-ATLANTIC THREE STARS: april 3

John Piassek
April 3, 2023

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

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

Region’s Best

Racing at Laurel Park without fans. Photo by Allison Janezic.

FIRST STAR: DULCIMER DAME. Off just a seven-day layoff, Dulcimer Dame made it seven straight wins to open her 2023 season on Thursday. She went off at 1-10 in a starter allowance contest, despite drawing the outside post in the nine-horse field. She rated off the pace, then moved three-wide on the turn and pulled clear in the last sixteenth. She continues to lead all horses in the country in victories, and has now bankrolled $103,728 on the season. She’s owned by Richard Burnsworth, trained by Anthony Farrior, and ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica.

SECOND STAR: BEREN. This Pennsylvania-bred sprinting star got his second win of the year, and 11th lifetime triumph, last Monday when he took an open allowance race by 5 1/2 lengths. He went off as the 1-2 favorite in the six-horse field, and pressed the pace on the outside and drew off impressively in the stretch. The 5-year-old son of Weigelia is now just $159,000 shy of the million-dollar mark in career earnings. He’s a homebred for Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek, trained by Butch Reid, and ridden by Frankie Pennington.

THIRD STAR: BEVERLY PARK. If Dulcimer Dame continues her winning ways, she’ll begin drawing comparisons to Beverly Park, who won 15 races last year. On Friday, he won for the second time this season when he took a starter optional claiming contest by two lengths. He rated on the rail most of the way, then angled into the two-path and took control late as the 3-5 choice. He’s now won 27 times from 52 career starts and has earned $572,426. He’s owned by Built Wright Stables LLC, trained by Lynn Cash, and was ridden on Friday by Yomar Ortiz.

Laurel Park

Teachintherelease goes all the way in Funkhouser Memorial
Teachintherelease got an unexpectedly easy early lead and turned that into a front-running score in Saturday’s Randy Funkhouser Memorial Stakes.

FIRST STAR: PROVE RIGHT. Won an open 3-year-old allowance impressively on Friday for his first win of the year; he was second in the Rittenhouse Square Stakes in his prior start.

SECOND STAR: GOLDEN EFFECT. Set the pace and fended off Proper Attire in the stretch to win a second-level allowance optional claiming race on Sunday.

THIRD STAR: JEVIAN TOLEDO. Turned a Toledo Triple on Saturday, winning three races to give him the early lead in the spring jockey standings.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: DULCIMER DAME. How big can she build her winning streak?

SECOND STAR: BEVERLY PARK. Dulcimer Dame may chase his standard this year, but he reminded everyone this weekend that he’s still got plenty left in the tank.

THIRD STAR: HONEYQUIST. The two-time stakes-placed West Virginia-bred started his 3-year-old season with a gate-to-wire victory on Saturday.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: BEREN. Continued his Parx dominance with another victory on Monday.

SECOND STAR: RUBEN SILVERA. Won three races last Tuesday and five on the week.

THIRD STAR: FIVE DREAMS. Stakes-placed twice earlier this year, he came from off the pace to win a second-level allowance contest last Tuesday.

“Bittersweet moment” as Hessica hits retirement
Two-time WVBC Cavada winner Hessica couldn’t get one last win, settling for second November 9, but she’s had quite a career for owner-trainer Kristy Petty.

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