Carmelina takes Gin Talking, caps big season for Reid
Frank Vespe- December 30, 2023
Trainer Robert “Butch” Reid won his first stake of 2023 January 3 and his last December 30 and more than a dozen others in between en route to the best season of his career. Reid trainees found the winner’s circle 18 times this year after stakes wins, including twice in the year’s final week, as the conditioner won 57 races and posted more than $4 million in purse earnings, both career highs.
His most recent added-money triumph – not necessarily his last of the year, as he’ll saddle King Kumbalay in Sunday’s Queens County at Aqueduct – came in Saturday’s $100,000 Gin Talking at Laurel Park, when Carmelina rode the rail to a two-length victory. Earlier this week, he saddled Uncle Heavy — named for his brother, former trainer Mark Reid — to a win in the Wait For It Stakes at Parx Racing.
“It’s just been a sensational year,” Reid said after the win by Carmelina, who’s owned by Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing LLC. “With the owners and the help, it’s just having all the right people in the right places. I think that was maybe our seventeenth or eighteenth stake win on the year, so it’s just been a great year.”
With nearly 20 stakes wins from a barn that’s made just a shade over 260 starts, it’s hard to pinpoint a single horse responsible, but it’s certainly fair to say Carmelina has held up her end of the bargain. The two-year-old Maximus Mischief filly – a Pennsylvania-bred out of the redoubtable Virginia-bred turf mare Complete St. – has won four of her six starts this season, three in stakes company.
Indeed, she’s four-for-five on the main track, her only bad outing having come in her second start, in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga.
“We probably jumped a gun a little bit there,” Reid acknowledged. “But, you know, at that time of year, it’s tough to find spots for horses that break their maiden that early.”
In Saturday’s contest, Carmelina was off as the 2.30-1 second choice in the field of six fillies. Cap Classique, the Brittany Russell trainee who entered three-for-three, including a win in the Smart Halo last month, was favored, while Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship winner Kissedbyanangel was the 3-1 third choice.
On a day where inside speed provided a clear advantage – five of the nine winners led at every call – jockey Sheldon Russell was able to use Carmelina’s early zip to best advantage. She broke alertly to grab the edge, and she never ceded the lead.
Carmelina led by a length after the opening quarter-mile in 23.12 seconds, while Cap Classique bid up to within a half-length after a half-mile in 46.15. Cap Classique continued to press Carmelina for much of the stretch, but Carmelina inched away in the final furlong to win by two lengths in 1:24.83 for seven furlongs on a fast main track.
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Cap Classique held second, while last-out maiden winner Munny Grab was along for third. Carmelina returned $6.60 to win and topped an exacta that paid $7.80 for a one-dollar wager.
Carmelina’s six career starts have come at five different racetracks, ranging from Saratoga in the north to Colonial Downs in the south.
“She’s come a long way,” Reid said. “For a filly that’s almost shipped for every start she’s made, it hasn’t been an easy road for her and she’s getting better with every start. So we’re very excited about her three-year-old year coming up.”
One race later, the picture was similar, as rider Jeiron Barbosa sent Sweet Soddy J straight to the front en route to an eight-length win in 1:24.04 in the $100,000 Heft Stakes for two-year-olds. Sweet Soddy J, a Bee Jersey gelding, now has three wins from eight outings, among them an earlier score in the Timonium Juvenile Stakes.
Sweet Soddy J, trained by Ray Ginter for Built Wright Stables LLC, was one of just two stakes winners in the field, the other being the Jerry Robb-trained Catahoula Moon. That rival was wide throughout before tiring to finish sixth of seven as the odds-on favorite, while second choice Great Opportunity stumbled at the break before rushing up to press the pace. But that runner could not go with the winner in the stretch.
Sweet Soddy J returned a surprisingly generous $18.40 to win, with the exacta paying $23.70 for a one-dollar wager.
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